Symbiosis
by Bahmo
Summary: Franticshipping. A year has passed since the end of the Ruby/Sapphire arc. Ruby and Sapphire remain friends, but are starting to want more; even if they say nothing about it. With school presenting a challenge for both young heroes, they make another deal in their cave hideout; one that just might finally bring them together as lovers.
1. Prologue

One fine day, a mischievous and adventurous young boy went out and played with his father's visiting friend's daughter. They were quite different people—she was docile and shy—and they hadn't known each other long at all, but somehow, the two were enjoying each other's company. The temperature was pleasant, birds were singing in the air, and the two were playing happily under the shade of a tree.

Then, tragedy struck. A vicious dragon attacked the two, and the boy, acting on instinct (and the Pokémon battle skills his father had taught him), threw himself and his Pokémon between his new companion and the attacking monster. The battle was quite brutal; though his Pokémon did most of the fighting, the dragon got close enough to slash a large gash in his face, but ultimately, the fierce assailant was driven away.

Yet the horror was not over. When the boy turned back to the little girl he had just rescued, she took one look at his bloodied face and began crying in fear. Then, in a frightening turn of events, she began to change. Her body grew rapidly, a layer of hard muscle surrounding it, shredding her pretty, frilly dress, while claws sprouted from her hands and fangs grew in her mouth; even her hair became fierce and spiked, with a large spiky bun piercing through the dainty hairnet she had on, and throughout all of this, her expression of shock and sorrow also became one of rage. Before the boy's horrified eyes—and bloodied face-the sweet, cute little girl had inexplicably transformed into a ferocious beast as frightening as the one he had just fought! She dropped to all fours and crouched, like a jungle cat ready to pounce, baring her fangs as if to prepare to sink them deep into her shocked rescuer's throat, and as she opened her mouth, she let out a fierce, earsplitting…

…Electronic beep? Time around the horrific scene seemed to freeze for a second, and then Ruby woke up from his nightmare; a mix of relieved and embarrassed. The beeping didn't go away, though; it emanated from the Pokédex on his bedside table. He glanced at it while shutting the alarm off, and saw the event noted in the "Calendar" utility: "September 20. 5:30 AM. Don't forget Sapphire's present!" Ruby bound out of bed with a vitality he rarely had, let alone in the morning, went to his wardrobe, and retrieved the red-and-blue wrapped package intended for the damsel/beast from his nightmare.

Real-life was, fortunately, somewhat different from that. Ruby _had _rescued Sapphire from the Dragon Pokémon, Salamence, and he _had _gotten hurt doing it, and she _did _get scared by his appearance and start crying. Yet while she also changed in real life, it was of course, more slowly, over the course of years, away from where Ruby could see it, and into a girl who was most definitely no monster. While she _did _have a wild persona and frightening abilities, spend a lot of time unkempt, and enter a deliberately terrifying, beastly state sometimes when she went into battle—indeed, she even really had _fangs_, for whatever reason—she was a wild girl with a heart. For all her rigorous, naturalistic training, she believed passionately in helping others whenever and however she could. For Sapphire, strength was the most important virtue, but not for its own sake; no, she believed the strong should help the weak, and help them to find their own strength. Obnoxious though she might be at times, you couldn't help but appreciate such a person.

As he clutched the present for his strange friend, Ruby noticed it still had no tag. This was bad; back during his last birthday, Sapphire had neglected to tag her gift to him, and he'd mocked her for it. He wouldn't let her throw that back at him, so he got out a pad of cute, Skitty-themed post-it notes, and with an elegant gold-ink pen, scrawled on one, "To the girl of my nightmares." As his mind woke up, Ruby decided that was too mean. He teased Sapphire a lot, but that was crossing the line. For one thing, she wouldn't understand what he was referencing (and Ruby certainly had no intention of telling her about that stupid dream), but for another, Sapphire had made it clear that she liked Ruby—in the _Italic _sense of the word, that meant _more _than "like"—and so mocking the clichéd but sweet phrase "girl of my dreams" might come off as one of the nastiest slights yet from a boy who hadn't done a great job satisfying her heart anyway.

Thinking of that, Ruby sighed. He had changed, too, in a rather _different _direction; he had gone from a rough-and-tumble boy to something of a repressed, fussy, and effeminate one, and spent a long time as a pacifist who was only interested in making himself and his Pokémon look as pleasant and unobjectionable as possible to the opposite sex. To other boys and men, to (the new) Sapphire, and maybe even to some normal girls, that choice backfired, as Ruby ended up coming across as wimpy, naïve, and apathetic. Things might have gotten even more extreme had he not encountered Sapphire again, and when he did, over a year ago in her secret cave hideout, both had changed so much that they didn't recognize each other. A hostile rivalry had struck up amongst some semblance of a mutually agreed-upon competition to see which of them could achieve their own extreme, egotistical goals faster. They didn't _like _each other then, either, but the "cave girl" had saved Ruby from a pursuing Mightyena, and he had returned the favor by cleaning her wounds (he also fainted an attacking Seviper while she was unconscious), so their relationship was only just workable. As a parting gift, Ruby had left some clothes he made for her, and a note recommending she wear them.

That was it! Ruby crumpled up his mean original tag, chucked it into his trashcan (which he sprayed so much with Febreze that Sapphire argued it came back around to stinking), and wrote a nicer note with a reference that Sapphire would get: "Happy Birthday to my good friend, Sapphire. I am sure you will look nice in this." When he'd written that in the note he wrote to Sapphire with those clothes he left her, he was just trying to flatter her into doing something she'd normally find objectionable. Only later did Sapphire admit to him that she found the message moving; for the first time, someone was saying she was pretty. Remembering this brought a smile to Ruby's face. Sapphire wasn't a very literate person, which might explain why a simple, patronizing note could mean so much to her, but in truth, Ruby really _did _think she was pretty. Her fangs and blazing eyes could look very scary when she was mad, but when she smiled and laughed or even frowned or cried, somehow her face became something compelling and unforgettable, which Ruby couldn't ignore when it seemed to request something. Her athletic physique was, similarly, both attractive and intimidating.

The gift was done and looked very nice. Ruby got himself dressed in a set of clothes that probably wouldn't be considered tasteful outside of a party, took the present in hand, and walked downstairs, still smiling when he thought of Sapphire. His parents weren't even up yet, but he aimed to be ready to please his friend ahead of time. This wasn't just Sapphire's birthday; it was also something of an anniversary for them. After they'd gone their separate ways from that cave, they somehow kept encountering each other, including one last time when they had to team up to save Hoenn from battling great old ones awakened by psychotic cultists. In the process, they'd gradually discovered more about each other, including much they liked. Just as Ruby came to respect Sapphire's heroic mindset, so she found that she liked his nurturing, gentlemanly virtues. As the final battle loomed, they had also found out that they were, in fact, those childhood playmates traumatized by Salamence, and after that, Ruby saw both Sapphire and himself in a truly new way. A year ago, on Sapphire's last birthday, the two reunited in the same cave, marking something of an official moment in their harrowing journey from being old friends to bitter rivals to unwilling allies, and finally, back to being good friends again.

They didn't always get along; they were still very different people. Furthermore, Sapphire clearly wanted to be something more than good friends. Different interests often set them apart again, but just as often, the kindheartedness both shared for each other, as well as other people, reunited them, as in the events when they'd helped Emerald rescue several other "Dexholders." It was a rocky relationship, and Ruby blamed himself as much as he blamed her. (Not that he let her know that he blamed himself.) Yet today, on Sapphire's birthday and the anniversary of their new friendship, Ruby fully intended to make this special day perfect for her.

Ruby's parents awoke around 6:20 AM, possibly roused by their son's being up already. Norman, Ruby's father, smiled at his son's determination—Norman smiling was kind of rare, but then, Ruby being determined was kind of rare. His mother smiled, too, but from her it wasn't rare, and on top of that, today she got to spend quality time with Ruby in the kitchen. Sapphire's parents were handling the cake, and main course, but the birthday girl had quite an appetite, as befitting an active person, and Ruby liked cooking anyway, so they were prepared to cater. They could have done the job last night, but Ruby fussily insisted food that was refrigerated and then reheated would not cut it for today. He actually wondered if Sapphire would be able to taste the difference; if she could even taste it at all with the speed she crammed it from her mouth right into her stomach, but he declined to tell his mother about this. She went along with his mandate for freshness, and around 10:00 AM, they began work on two large meat loaves; one honey-glazed and topped with orange slices, and the other barbecued and topped with bacon. Then, the noon hour arrived, and it was time for the family to walk over to their next-door neighbors' house.

* * *

The Birches had arranged their own contributions to the feast on two installable picnic tables. Normally, Ruby would have griped about having to eat outdoors. He hated the wind blowing away his napkins and sometimes his food, hated the flies, hated the ants, and _really _hated the wasps that came to eat. Not today; today he intended to be at his best, so he marched proudly over to Sapphire, who hadn't seemed to do any special preparing for the day herself, but seemed plenty enthusiastic, and pressed his gift into her arms. "Happy Birthday, Sapphire," he said with gusto. He was disappointed to see she didn't read the tag, but that would come.

"Thanks a bunch; buddy! I can't wait to open it, but Dad says we should eat the meal first," Sapphire said.

Ruby wasn't perturbed; he just replied "That's fine; I've also prepared a meal you'll love!"

Sapphire _did _love it. Of course, she loved food in general, judging by how she scarfed it, but she told Ruby he truly had outdone himself; even if his mother had helped him. Yet still, the moment they both looked forward to was the cake-and-presents segment of the party. Sapphire saved Ruby's gift for last, and finally read it aloud: "Happy Birthday to my good friend, Sapphire. I am sure you will look nice in this."

Most of the guests smiled sweetly; Ruby's mother even went "Awww." Sapphire was also smiling, though she also looked a bit nervous; Ruby thought her face said a combination of "Wow; you really _do _like me, Ruby" and "This is a dress; isn't it?"

Whatever her reasons, Sapphire tore into the paper to reveal a sturdy-looking backpack; green with blue straps. She looked up from it to Ruby, looking relieved but also not expecting this. He explained, "I figured, since you like going hiking, and you've decided to start going to school, you should have a backpack."

Sapphire seemed pleased by this, and joked, "Wow; it isn't even pink and frilly!"

Ruby went along with this, "Oh; I'm so sorry, Sapph. I really did try, but I don't think they make pink and frilly backpacks in our size. When I got this home, I actually tried to stitch some lace onto it and then spray paint it pink, but I pricked my finger stitching and needed to be airlifted into the emergency room, and then when I told the nurse what the problem was, she laughed in my face and punched me out and chucked me into the dumpster, and-"

Most of the guests were giggling, though Norman clearly didn't think this facetious monologue was funny, even if it was obviously untrue. Sapphire, one of the many laughing, broke the narrative, "Okay, Ruby; ya can stop beating yourself up now."

Ruby did so, "Well; I usually make fun of you, and so as an additional gift today, I'm making fun of _myself! _The truth is, I bought you a green and blue backpack because your name is Sapphire Birch."

Sapphire strapped it on enthusiastically and said, "Well whatever, ya did good. I'm so happy I have a friend who thinks of me and even understands me. I'd forgotten school was coming up, though."

"Yeah; that's what September is known for," Ruby replied.

"Well thanks again" said Sapphire, and she wrapped Ruby up in a warm hug. Hugs between them weren't that rare, but somehow, Ruby thought this one felt better than they ever had before.

"Happy twelfth birthday," he said sweetly. "Wow; has it really been a year since we finished that bet?"

"I guess it has," said Sapphire. "I must say, I like being your friend a lot more than being your competitor."

"Same here," said Ruby. "Nothing seems so empowering as knowing others care about you."

He wondered how Sapphire took that last bit, and more specifically if she took it as him finally admitting he remembered Sapphire confessing her feelings to him—feelings he told her he returned. In fact, Ruby remembered that moment very well, and let that slip out more than a few times, and he truly meant what he said to her then (he even relished being able to be her hero once again), but he didn't dwell on it, much to her obvious chagrin. Sapphire didn't actually say how she interpreted his statement, but Ruby kept flashing back to the strange feeling he got when she hugged him. He couldn't understand exactly what it was, but when it was time for everyone to go home for the day, Ruby sauntered over and hugged her back. "Happy birthday again," he whispered. "It's been a good year." Just as he thought, there was that same feeling again, and even if he didn't understand it, he thought about it all the way up into his room.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sapphire went inside and talked to her father. "Dad? What's school like?"

The man who'd homeschooled her since infancy might not have been the best person to tell her, but it was a question she hadn't thought of until now. He answered, "It's got its ups and downs. Certainly it's an important moment in many people's lives. Yet for better or for worse, there's nothing else like it, and I don't know what I can say to prepare you. There'll be lots of new people, and they might be overwhelming, and there will be policies that seem weird to you. I'll be honest, I wonder if it's really the best thing for you right now."

Sapphire balled her fists and got her game face on. "Whatever it's like, Ruby is going. He seems fine with it, and if I'm going to keep him in my life, I must follow."

"Wow; you really like him, eh," asked her father.

Sapphire went from strong to a bit sad, but still determined. "Oh, so much. There are things about him I wish were different, of cos, but he means so much to me that they don't matter. If it weren't for what he did for me back when I was little, I wouldn't just be different; I would be dead. When we left after that attack, I could never stop thinking about what he did, but I thought we might never see each other again, and then, when I learned that we actually _had _met again without knowing it, I swore to myself I never would let anything split us up again. Even if another Salamence shows up at school, I'll kick its teeth down its throat before it can split us again!"

Professor Birch laughed. "That's my girl! I think you can be sure Ruby also values you a lot. The way he acted towards you today; sure it was your birthday, but as you said, he was really empathetic."

Sapphire was pleased but bewildered, "Really _what_?"

"Empathetic," said her father. "That means that even though Ruby doesn't share all of your values, he knows and cares about them and he wants to play to them for your sake. He's a good boy; weird, but I'm sure you can count on him."

Sapphire wanted more, so asked, "Count on him to do _what?_"

Her father shrugged, "Well, I don't know yet. Yet the way he values you, I think that in the future, if there's something you really want, he will do his best to help. Now I think you ought to start preparing for school; it starts next week."

"Okay Dad; thanks for talking," said Sapphire as she started up the stairs. Unlike him, she knew _exactly _what she really wanted from Ruby.


	2. Chapter 1

The first Monday of the semester rolled in quickly. Ruby had always gone to school, save for the year after moving here, where his running away from home kept him from going, and then the threat to Hoenn's existence had put all school on hold, so he had an idea of what to expect. Uniforms were one such thing he expected. Sapphire didn't. She had a down-to-earth attitude about clothing, and when she walked outside to greet Ruby that morning, she bore a look on her fanged face that Ruby thought _he_ might have worn if he got covered in mud.

Sapphire looked down on herself and said, "Geez; when I opted ta go ta school, I didn't think they'd make me wear a dress!"

Ruby just smirked, "Oh come on; that's not a full-dress—just a skirt! Besides, you also get to wear a jacket and tie to compensate. That's plenty masculine; eh?"

Sapphire actually looked thoughtful at that, but eventually said, "Well, of cos girls don't usually wear 'em, but they're still dressy. Certainly ain't masculine in the way Muy Thai trunks would—hey wait; are ya sayin' I'd _like _to look masculine?!"

This got Ruby laughing, "Well; would you rather dress as a fairy?"

Sapphire couldn't say she did, but _did _retort, "Well; I still say this is just a dumb combination of clothes. I'm surprised they didn't give me bagpipes with it!"

This joke got Ruby laughing hysterically. "Wow; you're finally thinking about fashion! You really _are _a girl. Still, if you want to feel Scottish, you could compensate by not wearing undies!"

That set her off, "I'll show _you_ how I wear undies" she growled, and literally kicked Ruby's butt.

"Ouch! Watch it Sapphire; I have to sit down for hours today!" That one wasn't a dig at her, but secretly the thought of sitting down for hours worried Sapphire. "Well congrats; I think you just set a new record for just how fast a schoolgirl shows her panties by kicking!" Ruby had a strong feeling Sapphire would have beaten the crap out of him for that sort of comment, if not for her liking him looking her over on some level. Or maybe it was because the past year had been so full of such mutual vitriol. Probably both, and Ruby felt a bit ashamed of thinking of the former first.

Sapphire didn't beat him up, but she had her own barb at the ready: "I guess ya would know; I'm sure many schoolgirls have kicked you!"

Ruby countered it with "No; I know because I actually watch TV and can read. Actually, the ladies love a pretty boy!" He looked right at her and batted his eyelashes; ensuring she knew exactly whom that "pretty boy" was.

"Then ya better can it before I turn that pretty boy face into chum!"

How long all this bickering might have gone on would be anyone's guess if Norman hadn't come out and yelled, "Ruby! You be nice to Sapphire and get your hiney to school before I add to the wounds she gives you!"

This indeed got Ruby walking briskly, but it also gave quite a blow to his upbeat attitude. Sapphire noticed and her next comment wasn't humorous: "You look like ya didn't like his jokes as much."

"Because I don't think it's a joke, Sapphire," he replied in a voice that was getting sadder and sadder. "He really _has_ beaten on me a lot just for being me; more than you have by far. Also, I always got that you cared about me even when I made you mad. For years, I didn't know if Dad cared about me."

"I'm sure he does," said Sapphire, who at this point was no stranger to such abrupt shifts from dissing Ruby to becoming concerned for him—or vice versa. "You would've stayed away if he didn't."

"Yes," said Ruby. "Yes; he cares about me, but he and I are very different people. Sometimes care doesn't translate well between very different people." Here again, he wasn't insulting Sapphire anymore, but that one stung. The same problem affected _her_ relationship with him. "Well; here's the bus stop," he continued, changing the subject as fast as he could. The bus arrived and they got on; happy they could share a seat.

* * *

The two were about ready to talk about school instead of Ruby's life at home, but Sapphire, who sat closer to the window, saw something that perturbed her. "That place," she said. "It's changed."

Ruby didn't understand the concern much. "You mean Route 101?" At this point, the bus had made it through the route into its stop in Oldale Town.

"Yeah; I guess," Sapphire replied, still looking out the window. "It used ta have a lot more thick grass."

Ruby felt some tree hugger ranting coming on, so he shifted back into teasing mode: "Aww; does Cave Girl need to grab a clump of it to finish wiping?"

Sapphire seemed more annoyed than usual, which seemed to imply this issue was important to her, but she just countered, "No; I am clean. If there was anything hanging on down there, I'd smell myself."

Ruby gave her a look of "Too Much Information."

"What," she asked. "I have really good senses; remember?"

Now Ruby grinned, ready as usual with a jab: "Oh yeah; thank goodness! I was getting a funny vision of you contorting to smell yourself _actively_!"

Sapphire didn't quite get it. "Do _what _actively?"

Ruby was only too happy to rub this in: "In other words, I was imagining you actually bending your head forward between your legs to get into position to sniff your butt."

Sometimes, one of them made a joke they both laughed at, and this was one of those times. Sapphire cackled like a mad villain, and Ruby joined in rapidly. They realized that some of the other students riding the bus had heard and were laughing, too. There was one girl, though; a petite blonde, who sneered, "That is disgusting!"

Ruby was unfazed. "Yeah; but so is she!" Sapphire just laughed some more.

Yet it didn't last, because when the bus got on Route 102, she saw more of the same, and saddened again. "Here it is again, Ruby; look. A lot of the tall grass has been cut down, and there are ramps up the cliffs. A straight road is paved right through."

Ruby shrugged. "Price of progress, I guess. They wanted to keep people safe from Pokémon attacks, and let them travel faster. It's good for society."

Sapphire thought that over; she couldn't exactly deny that claim. "Maybe. But it's not what I knew as a little girl who went exploring. Then it felt exciting, and I felt proud going through it all. Now I'm ridin' through it quick and easy." As if on cue, the bus had entered Petalburg City.

Now it was Ruby's turn to be the comforter. "I feel for you; I guess. But there will be other fun places to explore. Not everywhere will be the way to a school, and so those places can stay pristine."

"Y'are right," said Sapphire. "I just…got a bad feeling about things. Sorry to bring you down."

Ruby put his hand on her shoulder and said, "That's okay. I'm always okay with hearing your problems. Still, I think things will be fine. Look; we've arrived at the school."

Indeed they had. The students rushed off the bus, and a few other buses were unloading more from other areas. Some students rode in in their parent's cars, while some of those close enough had walked or biked. There were even a few students, who had ridden Pokémon to school, and they got a lot of attention, but they needed to ball up their Pokémon and check the balls in at the gate. One boy who wasn't prepared for this policy seemed quite sad to part with his Stantler.

Sapphire saw this, and it did nothing to improve her mood. She grabbed Ruby by the shoulder to stop him from going into the school; however briefly. "Really Ruby; look at that. It's just sad. I'm worried that this new life doesn't fit me. Like my world's died."

He turned around and hugged her, and actually kept hugging. "I understand. I know how different this all must feel to you. I know you're going to school for the first time. But I also know what a big, strong, tough girl you are, and I know you can take whatever punches school will dish out—and believe me; there aren't that many. And your world isn't dead, Sapphire; I'm still here, and your parents and your Pokémon and everything will still be there for you when you come home. Just think of this all as another adventure you're embarking on, and you'll get into the swing of things."

That last bit actually made Sapphire think of climbing a tree and leaping off with a vine, but the thought was interrupted by an "Awww." It turned out to be the same blonde whom they'd grossed out on the bus.

Sapphire glared at her, and one look at her fangs sent the nosy girl scurrying into school. This also caused Ruby to break the embrace abruptly, but he kept smiling and said, "See you later!"

Sapphire looked on as he entered the school, and slowly followed in herself. As different as Ruby was from her in so many ways, maybe that actually made it even sweeter how much he cared about her. Then again, as sweet as it was how much he cared about her, maybe that actually made it even more enraging that he didn't want a deeper relationship. Still, the feeling she had was mostly one of warmth, and for the moment, Ruby was all she could think about. For the moment.

* * *

The curriculum was broken into Language, Math, Social Sciences, Physical Education, and Science-for this grade, Geology-and each student also got to pick an elective. Ruby's schedule consisted of Language, then Physical Education, and then Geology on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; on Tuesdays and Thursdays it was Math, then his chosen elective of Drawing, and then Social Sciences. Sapphire, meanwhile, had Math, then Physical Education, and then Geology on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while on Tuesdays and Thursdays, she went to Social Sciences, then Language, and then her chosen elective of Band. This gave them exactly one class together in Geology; PE didn't really count since the sexes were segregated.

Ruby's Language class had few surprises. The teacher handed out a syllabus outlining about the usual policies for such a class, which consisted, in essence, of learning vocabulary words, making sure of remembering correct grammar, and reading, discussing, and analyzing a few novels deemed classics by someone in a high place. The one real surprise came when the teacher asked students to go around class and get into study groups. This involved a lot of mingling and idle chitchat, after which, somehow, students would both form quick friendships and choose to talk about books.

As Ruby was walking around the room, a familiar voice behind him said, "Excuse me."

There she was again, that blonde girl who'd bothered them twice today. Ruby half remarked on that with a less polite greeting than he usually gave: "What do you want?"

The blonde looked genuinely inquisitive and asked, "That girlfriend of yours-"

"She's not my girlfriend," Ruby broke in.

"Well; that girl you were with; is she a vampire?"

This sort of remark had come a lot before, and as often as he teased Sapphire, Ruby didn't like it from others, so snapped, "No! I really am sick of that question!"

The pesky girl didn't back off. "Well she has fangs. Doesn't that bother you?"

Ruby gave her the answer he legitimately felt about Sapphire at this point: "My Delcatty and Mightyena _also _have fangs. That doesn't bother me; I find them adorable."

It was a good rebuttal, but she wouldn't leave. "But is that girl an animal?"

This got Ruby to smile and chuckle, "Well; maybe a little. But she's still my friend."

More prying: "She doesn't scare you?"

Another close one for Ruby: "Well; yeah she does sometimes. But she's still my friend."

"But not your _girl_friend."

Ruby could see where this was going, but still said, "No; she's not my girlfriend."

Though Ruby's brief smile was dimming, the blonde girl felt her icebreaking had gone far enough to say, "So you're free? Then how about you and me be in a study group? I'm Cedi, by the way."

Ruby thought this was about the chance he had to cut her down a bit with some of the deprecating wit he had honed all too well: "Is that the Compact Disc, or as in, 'The seedy underbelly of society?'"

Cedi's eyes widened at that. "Did you just call me a whore?"

Ruby didn't exactly have a high opinion of her, but his politeness took over: "Oh no; I'm sorry! I didn't even think of the connotations of that pun when I made it. Actually, I think it's rather disgusting how some in our society call women sluts or whores just because they're attractive."

This got Cedi going again: "You think I'm attractive?"

It was all Ruby could do not to smack himself. "Well, um; I mean, you're blonde, you're not overweight, you're fashion-savvy; you um, fit the bill I guess." That was as graceful as Ruby got without getting rude. In the general consensus, Cedi probably _would _be considered attractive, but that was a lot different from him actually being attracted _to _her.

It at least cut that awkward string of dialogue short. "Well, how about that reading group, anyway? What's your name?"

Ruby wondered if he even should give it, but she'd find out anyway. "My name is Ruby."

Cedi had a chance for revenge and took it: "Isn't that a girls' name?"

Ruby just said, "Sometimes it is. Sometimes it's not." (He really didn't know of any other exceptions besides himself, and sometimes he wondered if he even counted.") "Oh; and I'm sick of hearing _that_, too."

The teacher saved them by calling for quiet. His last speech had to do with hoping that people had found a study group, and saying if they hadn't, he was available to help, and about which "classic" novel the class would be reading. As he dismissed the class, Cedi smiled and waved, "See you later, Ruby!" He expected that unfortunately, she would.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sapphire attended a Math class. The teacher here wasn't as bombastic as Ruby's Language teacher had been; Sapphire thought his relatively-short outlining of class policy could be summed up as the even shorter, "We do busywork." He certainly didn't waste any time reinforcing that conclusion, as he passed out a worksheet full of math problems for all of the students to work on for the rest of period.

Sapphire looked down at the sheet of paper, with its clean white background and formulaic black digits and symbols. She wasn't bad at math; hardly a whiz, either, but as academics went, Math was consistent and made good sense to her. It had rules that were understandable and pertained to realities. Yet here, it was plain black lines on plain white paper. She looked up and around the room and saw plain white walls and a matching ceiling, over a plain blue carpet; almost as dull as the page. She looked back down at it, and worked through a few of the problems, but then raised her hand. (She hadn't learned a great deal of etiquette throughout her life, but she at least knew that.) Nobody else cared to talk, so the teacher gave her attention, "Yes, Ms. Birch?"

Sapphire said what was on her mind; as she often did: "I just think these papers are ugly. They're plain, have no color, and all look the same. Kinda hard ta read."

She wondered if the teacher even processed most of that, because his reply was, "Maybe you need glasses. The nurse can test you for that."

Sapphire was a bit peeved, but stayed polite enough. "Oh no; I have perfect vision! I just think, ya know, these things could be more fun ta look at."

Now the teacher evidently _had_ heard her, because he raised his voice a bit and said, "It's Math. What did you expect?"

Sapphire had an answer to his probably-rhetorical question: "Well when my dad taught me Math, he used colorful blocks with all the numbers and symbols. It made it more fun!"

A fair number of students giggled. Sapphire didn't think they were giggles of support, either. The teacher was even colder, but at least tried to _sound _polite. "Interesting. I don't know how I feel about homeschooling. What's your Dad do for a living?"

This gave Sapphire a chance to show him up: "He's a famous scientist!"

The teacher didn't budge, but just said, "I'll look into it." Whether that "it" was her idea for more fun Math, or her father's occupational integrity, or something else, was left ambiguous.

Sapphire grudgingly said nothing for the rest of the class, and really did attempt to do the problems, but seeing those oppressive, colorless, rectangular sights kept pushing her mind back into those memories of her going exploring in the wild and seeing lots of interesting sights and places full of sensory stimulation. "How," she thought to herself. "How did I go from being wild and free and happy, to being stuck here with this boring, mundane paper?" She remembered; it was because she chose to follow Ruby into school. Was that smart? Was he worth it? Remembering how nice he'd been lately, Sapphire judged that both were affirmative, and thinking of that reminded her she'd have a class with him later today, and her mood brightened. Then the period ended, and she remembered which class was coming up first: Physical Education. Now she felt _really _positive! Sapphire had all of the Physical Education she needed, but she wasn't going to pass up a chance to stay in shape, especially after the constraining feeling of sitting down for hours in that awful Math classroom. As she bounded over to the Physical Education area, she got more pleasant thoughts: "Now it's _my_ turn; creeps. Now is when _I _laugh at _you_!"

* * *

Ruby was also making his way over to the Physical Education area, with thoughts a great deal less happy. In general, he liked school well enough. He was a good student and occasionally impressed others with his articulate speeches about various academic subjects. He did _not _like Physical Education, and hadn't for a long time. He didn't like feelings of weakness compared to other children, and he didn't like the dirt people kicked up in the fields, and others didn't like how weak and averse to dirt he was. Maybe he was stronger now than he had been for a while—an adventure against mad cultists and cosmic entities probably helped—but still, heading into the locker room to change into gym clothes for the first time felt shameful. He saw a fair amount of boys more toned than he was, and slipping into the new gym clothes might have felt even more embarrassing than stripping down to his underwear, because they were, in Ruby's opinion, ugly. The white jersey was at least light and cool, but those tight red shorts felt too small for him—and too short. Ruby surmised that these sorts of clothes were the epitome of function-over-fashion; designed to be as little burden to one's body as possible, and maybe a guy would look good in them if only his body looked good. Still, Ruby thought such a guy would come off as immodest wearing them anywhere other than a beach. He slunk out of the locker room hoping this would be the last humiliation of the period, but fearing it wouldn't.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sapphire strutted into the girls' locker room like a girly-girl might have strutted onto the catwalk. She happily shed her embarrassing school uniform, stayed shed for a while to let all the other girls get a look at her muscles, and then changed into the gym clothes that still showed a lot of her off—but thankfully, had shorts rather than a skirt, so they wouldn't show off the bit guys craved—and were much more comfortable than the uniform, besides. She was feeling good, and then a familiar voice broke in. "Hey; Fangy!"

There stood Cedi; her voice was familiar to Sapphire by now, even if her name wasn't yet. Sapphire managed one word: "You!"

"It's Cedi; actually. You into that boy who came with you?"

Sapphire half-ignored that. "If ya want me to call you Cedi, then you call me Sapphire; not Fangy."

Cedi had surprising guts to reply, "Alright, Vampire. Now if you'll please answer-"

"Hey Cedi; lay off of that new girl!" That came from another girl entering the locker room, who looked quite different from Cedi; while Cedi was lanky, fair and blonde, this girl was dark, squat, and kind of plump.

"What? She and I were just having a conversation!" Yes; Cedi had a lot of nerve.

The other girl didn't buy that. "No; you were mocking her appearance. I don't like girls who do that."

Still, Cedi didn't back down. "I merely think having fangs is unique, is all."

Sapphire was fed up now. "Cut the act! If 'unique' was all ya thought they were, then ya wouldn't mock them by calling me names! What y'are doing is being a jerk, and ya'd better stuff it before we do!"

The other girl cut in: "That's right. We're going out to the field, and if you don't shut your trap when we get back in here, I'll shove my sweaty gym socks into it!" Rather than saying sorry, Cedi just turned and sulked away.

"Thanks pal," Sapphire said as she walked out to the field. "I'm happy ta finally meet someone I can like here."

"I'm Ivy, by the way. Yeah; there's a lot of judgmental creeps, but I think you're cool, and even pretty. I also knew who you were."

Sapphire didn't expect that last bit. "You do?"

Ivy smiled and said, "Yes; you're Sapphire Birch. You're that girl who set a new record for beating gyms, kicked a lot of bad guy ass, and saved Hoenn from monsters!"

Sapphire laughed. "Well, I had help with some of those, but yeah; I guess I'm pretty awesome."

"_Totally _awesome; you're my hero, Sapphire! Just wait until we hit the field," said Ivy. "Then e_veryone _will get to see how awesome you are!"

Sapphire grinned. "Ya took the words outa my mouth!"

* * *

Ruby couldn't decide whether he was bored or worried. If was worried, though, it was for his own self-esteem, and certainly not for this stupid baseball game. After a few basic stretches, the gym teachers had dismissed all of the boys to the baseball fields to arrange a game as the designated captains saw fit, and Ruby's had given him a fielding position that was _far _afield. He calculated very little chance of the ball ever coming into his area, and it was all he could do not to sit down on the grass, because boredom and daydreaming were taking over him. He actually wondered if he would be _that _bad if only he got to bat. Ruby wasn't actually that bad of a runner; he even kept up with Sapphire in that regard; perhaps it was because he'd been a willing coward for too much of his life, while Sapphire far preferred fight to flight these days. Yet whatever talent he had would probably be wasted in this event, and standing around doing nothing wouldn't do much to improve one's athleticism. Then, just when Ruby was beginning to write this whole sport off as too prone to cronyism and ostracism of most players, the baseball smacked him in the face as if in revenge!

The thump made Ruby's eyes tear up, but he didn't whine; unfortunately, that wasn't all he didn't do. It took a few long seconds of disbelieving stares from his "teammates" to remind him maybe he was supposed to pick the ball back up, and then the stares became more hostile until he decided they also wanted him to throw it back. That was irrelevant by then, as the runner had reached home amidst loud protests. Ruby decided to go apologize, but before he got it out, the captain yelled, "You stink!"

Ruby wouldn't exactly have this. "Not true. Hygiene means a lot to me!"

This show of nonchalance got him more yelling. "How can you be so dense to not get what to do with a simple ball task?!"

Ruby didn't even bother lying. "Well, I guess you gave me an extremely boring position and I stopped caring!"

Surprisingly, the captain smiled at that. Ruby wondered if he'd actually convinced him of his own fault in the matter. Then the captain revealed his intent. "Hmm, maybe. I took you for a worthless peon, but maybe you are made for better stuff. I will find out, because you will now bat for us!" Ruby wondered if he should take the bat and smash his own mouth.

Somewhere within Ruby, pride still resided. He'd gotten used to—even good at—being cutesy and refined and proud of that, but that brave boy who'd faced down a Salamence was still in there, too, and now that the girl he'd saved was back and wouldn't let him forget it, that bit was trying to climb out. Here was a chance to prove his worth as a man, or die trying. Or maybe just wish he was dead trying. Behind him, those players who had lined up to bat and should have gone next looked like they wanted his head. The captain, who was actually more responsible for this change of plans, looked hopeful but far from convinced. Ruby thought to himself, "Okay; you can do this. Just pretend that guy coming at you with the ball wants to beat you up, and adrenaline should kick in." This attempt at reaffirmation did a great job causing to ignore the first ball thrown completely. Nobody even said "strike;" they just booed.

Ruby focused back on the second throw and swatted it with all he felt he could. Not great, but it at least would throw off the opponent to some degree. Ruby reached First Base relatively easily, and probably should have stayed, but that hero inside said press on, and so he kept running. He knew this was a gamble, and he decided that looking back at the chaser he'd resolved to fear would give him a boost. Perhaps it did, and so Ruby continued to glance over his shoulder. Perhaps he should have known by now that distractions were bad, because this one caused him to trip, and inadvertently do what was simultaneously one of the most celebrated baseball maneuvers and the one Ruby found most disgusting: Slide through the dirt. He teared up again at the scrape; so much that he didn't even notice when the chaser tagged him.

This failure could have been worse—his earlier ones _were _worse—but it felt the most awful to Ruby. The captain rubbed it in without even meaning to: "You've got guts; bro. Unfortunately, the rest of your body can't do what your guts think."

Ruby couldn't even argue. He just asked to leave so he could wash his bruises in the fountain, and walked over in misery. He got to the center of the sports area, where the fountain was, and then, while he washed and also got a drink, he caught an eyeful of Sapphire practically flying across the soccer field like she owned the place.

* * *

Sapphire felt more alive than she had all day, and she was savoring it. She sped after the ball like a Persian after a Ratata, and delivered powerful kicks to send it rolling away even faster, like that Ratata was readying a Hyper Fang for her. Other players marveled at her abilities; her teammates cheering and her opponents groaning. Amazingly, though, Sapphire wasn't the only VIP on the field, and knowing there were more made her feel even better than her own performance did. Ivy, it turned out, was a whiz at soccer. Clearly she had muscle under her fat, because she knocked the ball hard and fast easily on par with Sapphire. She wasn't as fast, but she was respectably fast for her build, and she might actually be as strong, and as teammates, with Sapphire handling offense and Ivy blocking goals with her strength and frame, they felt nearly unstoppable.

Nearly. Cedi, as if by some unwritten Murphy's law, was on the opposing team—though having her on the same team might be even more annoying-and surprisingly, she was pretty good herself. She looked to Sapphire like the sort of girl a soccer ball would break like a twig, but she was fast, energetic, and gave an impression of calculated finesse—maybe the sort mean girls were bound to have. That kept her ahead of many pursuers, but what was more impressive was her ability to lead. Cedi's kicks weren't the strongest, but they were agile enough to compensate. At one moment, with a lot of opponents charging at her, Cedi bounced the ball along her left leg, and then slammed that leg down while her right threw a hitch kick that sent the ball sailing above opponents' heads and into the goal. ("Reminds me of someone," thought Sapphire.) In spite of herself, Sapphire was impressed by that. Cedi had come in looking like an underdog and then shown up her peers, and on one level, Sapphire could relate to that. A worthy opponent, however, was still an opponent. Under other circumstances, Sapphire thought she might actually feel bad about trashing an opposing team below her own level. Cedi, however, had nipped at her all day, and needed a whooping.

The chance for this presented itself when Cedi opted to serve as goalie in one round. Sapphire thought that was dumb, considering Cedi was wasting her mobility ace, but then, maybe mean girls were bound to be dumb eventually. Egotistical people who had a lot of success could get a feeling of invincibility that betrayed them; at least that was what Sapphire counted on. So when she charged across the field at Cedi, she didn't even have much of a strategy; just strength and speed amplified by her anger and the enthusiasm of the teammates she'd impressed. They fanned out behind Sapphire, and as she got close, she kicked the ball with all her might.

* * *

Ruby had washed all of his bruises and quenched his thirst, but he kept looking at Sapphire's high performance the way someone supposedly kept looking at a bloody car accident. "This wild girl still sees me as that hero who saved her way back when," he thought to himself. "Yet here I am neglecting my abilities and sulking over bruises and dirt, while she's there grandstanding how tough she is." As if to cap that off, Sapphire kicked the ball into the air and eventually into the goalie's stomach, and the latter crumpled up as if the soccer ball was a cannonball. The soccer field wasn't too close, but the cheers of Sapphire's team came through clearly. Looking on, Ruby thought maybe that goalie was Cedi, and he thought her getting hurt was kind of funny. Then he thought that was terrible, and that Sapphire and her team ought to be ashamed of such an action. Then he turned and hurried back to the locker room; not knowing what to think.

Meanwhile, Sapphire also returned to the girls' locker room with Ivy. Cedi gave them a wide berth, but Ivy followed Sapphire right into the showers and got in some small talk. "Wow; great game today!"

Sapphire smiled. "Yeah; it was. I'm glad I met you. I'm even glad I met Cedi, since that made the end of it feel better!"

Ivy grinned almost evilly. "We sure clobbered that whore!"

Suddenly, Sapphire didn't feel so good. "Whoa; Ivy! I don't like Cedi, but that doesn't mean ya should call her a whore!"

Ivy actually rationalized it. "But she _is _one. Look at her, Sapphire. She might be talented, but she's stuck with a weak body she won't get rid of because it's the sort of body our sick male-dominated society likes. They like wimps, and Cedi will always be a wimp because she really just wants to look nice to the boys. Hence she really _is _a whore; selling herself out to chauvinism that way."

Sapphire had a feeling there was some truth to that; she'd bet Cedi really _was _after Ruby, and thought she'd get him thanks to her more girlish charm. She just said, "Interesting way of seeing things."

Ivy beamed. "It really is, eh? Wanna talk about it over lunch?"

"Well, maybe."


	3. Chapter 2

About an hour later, Ruby arrived at the Geology classroom and took a seat. He was happy to be back in an environment where he wouldn't be an embarrassment, but then, Sapphire strode in and sat down right next to him. "Hey buddeh! Ya miss me?!" As if it wasn't obvious already how much fun she'd had in Physical Education, now she was still as positive as a Plusle.

Unfortunately, that just made Ruby feel worse about his own experience. Still, Sapphire was being plenty nice, so he just said, "Well kind of, but it hasn't been too long."

The teacher saved them from any more discussion for the moment, as he launched into his introductory speech and began passing out the syllabi. When he talked about getting lab partners, though, Sapphire looked at Ruby hopefully. What we he going to do; turn her down just because of his own angst? Yet it would be days before such lab activities began. As the class ended, Sapphire got perky again and said, "Wow; you were right, Ruby! School is…okay. Not perfect, but not bad."

Ruby just said, "Well; I told you so."

As they got on the bus home, this time Ruby was the one sitting by the window and staring out it, and it didn't take long for Sapphire to notice that this time, _he _was the one who seemed down. "Ruby; are you okay?"

Ruby lied, "I guess; I just have a bit of a headache."

Sapphire seemed to buy that. "Oh; sorry! I'll shut up. You should stop looking out the window and close your eyes for a bit." Ruby did so; why not? They finished the ride and parted on the same glum tone.

* * *

After finishing his dinner, Ruby stayed around to talk to Norman a bit. "Dad, I'm not sure how I feel about Sapphire. She's such a good friend, but being around her makes me feel kind of…pathetic."

Norman just glowered. "You be nice to that angel; you hear me?! She's done nothing wrong!"

He almost sounded like he knew about their interactions later in the day, but Ruby had spent enough time talking with him about such things to know better. The real reason for such an extreme statement was that Norman had essentially become a shipper-on-deck. He probably didn't know the term, "shipper," and he wasn't one to gush over other people's love life, but he seemed to feel Sapphire was the best thing that ever happened to Ruby. Ruby meeting and coming to care for her had done to him what Norman had tried to do but couldn't; it caused him to find his latent courage and renounce pacifism, and rather than becoming jealous, Norman encouraged him to step up the relationship so he'd get tougher still.

Ruby tried to dodge this. "I'm plenty nice to her, Dad. Sometimes I just feel weak around her."

Norman would have no whining. "Then _do _something about it. What do you want me to say; embracing mediocrity is fine? That's not how you get ahead in life, son. Now the good news is, you've taken the first step; the first step is admitting you have a problem. Now you work on solving it."

Ruby didn't feel that compliment. "I don't know if I can."

Norman was past the point of indoor voices. He growled, "If you are a man, you will give it a damn good try!" He lowered his voice a bit, and said more slowly, "Look; maybe you don't care what I say. Maybe with the way I've treated you, you have good reason not to care what I say. But you owe this to Sapphire and you damn well owe it to yourself. That's all the advice I can give you." Ruby knew better than to ask for more, so he just went up to his room.

* * *

Sapphire, meanwhile, was talking to her own father, though he was the one who started it by asking how the first day of school went.

"It had its ups and downs," said Sapphire. "Actually, so did Ruby."

"Still thinking of him, eh? I guess that's natural, if you're going to school just to pursue him. But what do you mean by ups and downs?"

"_Really _up and down. He's always kinda flipfloppy; not able to decide whether he likes me or not, but today his mood was totally wonky. In the morning, he was real happy and wanted to make me happy. Afternoon, he was quiet and blue. He said it was just cos he had a headache, but I don't buy that."

Professor Birch said, "I wish I could tell you what's going through his head. But the thing is, it's usually the _girls _who can't decide what to think or how to act. I grew up knowing such girls, but I was never an indecisive boy."

This was news to Sapphire, who was more familiar with Pokémon than people. "Indecisive boys are rare? Not all boys are this maddening?"

"Yeah; boys are usually easy to figure out. Maybe someone ought to write a song about how annoying an indecisive boy is."

Sapphire grinned. "Well; sometimes I wonder if he's a boy. He can be annoyingly femmy sometimes, as well!"

This got a laugh out of her dad. "Maybe that someone ought to write a song about _that, too!_"

Sapphire laughed along, but stopped quickly. "Thing is Dad; I _want _to forgive Ruby for all his faults, cos he has so much good about him, too. But I hate how he doesn't share his feelings. It's so hard to be around someone who did so much for me and said he liked me, and now says he doesn't remember all that. I don't believe him, and I don't like liars. But he keeps doing so much for me; I can't just leave him."

Professor Birch could understand this feeling. "Then here's what I suggest. Ruby is a nice guy, and I think if he knew just how much his dishonesty hurts you, he would stop. So why don't you just confront him and tell him how much you hate that?"

This empowered Sapphire. "Wow; Dad! I think I'll do just that! Thanks!" She hugged him, and then bounded upstairs.

As she left, the professor said, "You're welcome! I'm sure he won't be able to resist that."

Under her breath, Sapphire growled, "He _better_ not!"

* * *

The next day, Ruby and Sapphire met again outside, and began their walk to the bus stop. Ruby didn't look sad anymore. Now he looked a bit _scared._ Sapphire broke the ice with "Morning Ruby. How's your headache?"

Predictably, Ruby seemed confused; as if not remembering he (allegedly) had one. Finally he said, "Oh; it's better." He managed a smile.

Sapphire pressed on. "Hey Ruby?"

"Yes?"

"I don't think you had a headache yesterday. I think you were lying to me."

Ruby's smile faded. He waited a few seconds before saying, "Why would you think that?"

Sapphire could tell by his face she'd nailed him, so she grinned and said, "Well, ever hear of the boy who cried Houndoom?"

Ruby had, and said "Sapphire, I'm not-"

Cutting him off now proved she meant business. "For a long time, you lied to me about not being able to battle."

Ruby let her have that. "Okay; but this is just a headache."

"Maybe," said Sapphire, "but by what I remember, I'm guessing you were lying about it, and you know what Juan said about my intuition…"

"It's good."

Before Ruby even realized what he did, Sapphire slapped him on the shoulder to drive it home, and yelled, "Aha! It's a lot better than yar lyin' skills!" Ruby blushed and looked horrified. "So ya remember Mirage Island, eh?! I bet ya remember a lot more! More than ya say!" By this point, Ruby was shaking. Sapphire stared right into his eyes, and said more quietly but just as angrily, "And I don't like it."

"Sapphire, I-"

"I hate it!" She was loud again. "We've been through so much, and ya act like it's nothing!" She could see Ruby tearing up, and so she softened a bit. "There's a lot I _do _like about you. Y'are nice a lot. But when you do this, how do I know y'are sincere? What kinda friend-"

"I'm sorry," Ruby sobbed, "I'm so sorry!"

"Really?"

"Yes! I care about you a lot!" Then the bus arrived and amazingly, Ruby returned his voice to normal. "We shouldn't talk about it in public. But after school, let's meet in the secret cave, and then I'll tell you everything! I promise!" To emphasize that, he hugged her.

Sapphire broke it short. "I like it when we hug, Ruby, but I swear, if ya break that promise, I won't like it anymore."

Ruby turned and got on the bus. Sapphire followed in after him, and walked past his seat to sit farther back. Today, there was no teasing between them and no comforting. Only the mutual feeling of looking forward to this afternoon—and also dreading it. Silently, they both wept.

* * *

Ruby checked into the first day of Math, and dove into the worksheets assigned to the students faster than most classes would assign work. Math wasn't hard for him, but it was abstract and unpleasant—but not today. Today, being abstract meant he didn't have to think of any real-world issues and become miserable again. Things were going well until the teacher dismissed them, at which point Cedi, whom Ruby didn't even notice was in his Math class, came up and said to him, "You're looking sad, Ruby. Want to talk about it?"

Ruby could barely become angry right now, but tried to be firm. "Not to _you_. I've nothing to say to you."

Cedi could still hear what he wasn't saying. "It's about Sapphire, isn't it?"

In spite of himself, Ruby broke his silence, "You know her name?!"

"We've met; yes."

Ruby put two and two together. "It _was _you she kicked that ball into; wasn't it."

Now Cedi was surprised. "You saw that?!"

Ruby nodded. "Sapphire's strength fascinates me. It also scares me."

"I hear that. Should you two really be-?"

Ruby could also tell where things were going "I almost believe you're genuinely concerned, but this is between me and her. We're settling this tonight, and I want you to stay out of it." Maybe Cedi _was _genuinely concerned, because she agreed to leave.

* * *

At Sapphire's Social Sciences class, she, too, almost succeeded at ignoring the earlier events. It helped that Social Sciences looked fun to her. This classroom was nothing like the Math room; it was full of maps and posters showing exotic locations and scenes from history, and it even had a shelf of books that weren't required reading but presumably helpful. Even the syllabus the teacher passed out was illustrated, and accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation of big, colorful pictures. The teacher outlined how they would study geography and history, along with some of the political trends that related to them. It was when the teacher was outlining his history plans that Sapphire raised her hand.

"Yes miss?"

"Are we going to cover the crisis that almost destroyed Hoenn over a year ago? You know; I helped stop it!"

The teacher looked shocked. "I'm sorry, but that is too recent. The textbook doesn't even go past the 1990s."

The rest of the class passed without any more about that, but as the students were leaving, the teacher motioned for Sapphire to stay. She did; why not? "Sapphire Birch is it?"

"Yeah."

"I thought you looked familiar. I'm sorry that bit isn't in the lesson, but I don't want you promoting yourself as some great hero. I don't like feelings of inequality in my class."

"But-"

"No buts. Now run along or you'll be late for the next one.

* * *

Ruby's mood had been brought down after his Math class, and Drawing wasn't doing anything to bring it back up. This class didn't even have a syllabus; the teacher just showed many examples of scenes and figures on the projector, while she talked a lot of about the value of aesthetics. Much of the scenery reminded Ruby of those adventures he had around Hoenn a year ago; a good part of which had involved Sapphire. The teacher also explained how they would be drawing human figures with posable manikins as a base, and showed an image of one lying prone, with an adjacent image of a scantily-clad sleeping girl sketched based upon it. It brought Ruby back to the memory of Sapphire, whom he was meeting again for the first time in years, clad in simple leaf clothes and passed out in her cave after taking a blow for Ruby and saving him. As his mind shifted to how he returned the favor, he buried his head in his arms and fought back tears.

* * *

Some things Sapphire could just feel, and she felt that Language Arts class would be trouble. She knew why; she couldn't read well. She figured, though, that this class could help her; it just wouldn't be fun or easy. She was even happy to see that Ivy was in the class. So why the worry over simple literacy? She'd know soon enough.

It started out the same as most classes; the teacher greeted the students and handed them the syllabus—something Sapphire would probably have trouble reading if she tried—and talked them through it, meaning reading it in class wasn't really necessary. Then, the teacher announced a pop quiz. She smiled after a few gasps, insisting that it would be easy and wouldn't be graded; she just wanted to test their knowledge before moving on. Sapphire feared it might not be so easy, and when she looked down at her paper, she was proven correct.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to try something that had helped her once before, so not for the first time since starting school, she raised her hand and asked something that might be embarrassing. "Sorry; what's this first question?"

The teacher seemed sweet at first. "You're just supposed to answer what you think this vocabulary word means."

"Vocabulary?"

Now the teacher seemed less sweet. "Yes, miss; the word for the amount of words people know."

Sapphire tried not to dwell on that embarrassment. "So what does this say?"

Some students giggled. The teacher scowled. "Do you need glasses, miss?"

There was that glasses bit, again. "No; it's just I don't read well. Can't you read this for me?"

The teacher said, sternly, "I can, but I won't. I expect all students to be able to read; if you can't, you should not be in this grade."

Sapphire felt horrified at the suggestion. "But I'm smart! Honest I am. Just tell me what the question is, and I'll answer!"

"No! I don't do that for anyone, and I'm not doing that for you!"

Sapphire protested, "But I took a test before where someone read for me! I was challenging a gym, and I needed that help, but I got it and I aced it!"

The teacher's next response surprised her even given everything else. "Well, shame on that gym, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised by the uncivilized ways of those backward battle maniacs. Nothing you did there matters here. Here you will respect my rules."

This set off a bomb that had been planted ever since the Social Sciences teacher criticized Sapphire for talking of her heroic deeds. She let it loose loudly and fiercely. "How dare ya be so ungrateful; ya stuffy old hag?! Ya know how much all that matters?! The gym leaders liked how I fought so much they got me to fight against Kyogre and Groudon! Ya know how much reading any of that took?! Hardly! Ya know why y'are standing here right now and not dead?! Because I and my friends dedicated ourselves to fighting and saved Hoenn! _You _need to be respecting _me!"_

The teacher actually did back down a bit, and said, "Maybe you're right, miss. Would you like to speak to the principal about this? Maybe he'll agree with you."

Sapphire agreed, and walked over to where they said his office would be. There was another thing a life of tough battles hadn't prepared Sapphire for, and that was flattery, and how much more effective it could be in some situations than outright hostility. Not until she got into the principal's office did she learn he'd been called and told of how to give her another reprimanding.

* * *

Ruby spent an uneventful time in Social Sciences class, paying more attention to his inner worries than the outlining of class policies and plans. He didn't say anything, the way Sapphire had, but he did think a lot about his travels and adventures throughout Hoenn while hearing so much about the outside world.

Meanwhile, Sapphire had to spend all of Lunch _and _the band period in the principal's office, listening to a bunch of lecturing. Some of it made sense to her, but it didn't feel good. Civilization made sense, but she didn't know if she fit in it. Whatever the case, soon the dreaded moment came when it was time to call home. The principal did a lot of talking to Professor Birch, and then eventually, he wanted to talk to his own daughter.

So Sapphire got on. "Dad; I'm sorry."

His response wasn't what she expected. "I know you are."

"You do?"

"Yes, Sapphire; I do. What you did was wrong, but I understand why. You come on home, and we'll talk about it there."

Sapphire didn't like to counter her father, but said "Yeah, Dad, I'll do that, but I made a vow to talk a lot with Ruby tonight. Could I please do that first?"

Professor Birch paused, and then finally said, "I'd usually say no to that. But since Ruby is so related to your schooling, yes; do it. Eventually, I might even like to talk to both of you together.

"Gee; thanks Dad!"

The principal looked perturbed as she hung up the phone. "What is his email?"

"I'm…not sure. I'm not so good at computers."

That was true, even if it functioned as an excuse now. The principal wouldn't be defeated easily, though, so he printed out the email he'd gotten from her Language Arts teacher. "You will give this to your father when you see him."

On the way out from the office, she found Ivy waiting for her. "Hey," said Ivy.

Sapphire asked "Have you been there long?"

"Nah; I just came over to see you after school got out."

"Well thanks, Ivy; you're a real pal."

"Sapphire, _I _still think you're a hero. You'll always be _my _hero."

This cheered Sapphire up. "Thanks, but how much do you know about me?"

Ivy admitted, "Not that much. I know how cool you are, though, and that's good enough for me!"

Sapphire hugged Ivy, and in doing this remembered, "I'd love to stay and talk, but I've got to get home to do something important today."

"Yeah; I can imagine. Well, see you later." Ivy probably thought that the "something important" was getting chewed out by her parents. Maybe it was best she kept thinking that.

* * *

On the bus trip home, Ruby and Sapphire again sat together, but they didn't say much. Everything they could think about right now was something they knew they ought to wait until they were in private to say. Yet it wouldn't be long. Soon they got to their bus stop, got off, and walked briskly to that secret cave that meant so much to both of them; climbing the hill and entering the somewhat hidden mouth. A bit over a year ago, Ruby had furnished the cave in a flamboyant but comfortable manner, and so now it was a base that played to both of their personalities.

Ruby motioned toward a Pokéball-themed table with matching Pokéball-themed chairs. "We'd better sit down." As they took seats at either end of the table, looking at each other, Ruby noticed Sapphire now looked sad instead of mad. "You look like you had a bad day."

Sapphire admitted, "I _did_. But I don't want to tell ya anything until _you _tell me _everything. _So spill."

Ruby sighed. "Sapphire, I remember."

This wasn't good enough for her. "Remember _what_? Do you remember saving me from the Salamence?"

"Yes. Actually, I really _was_ forgetting about that one for a while, but in that battle, I started remembering it again. Remembering _you_, too. Now it's very clear.

"So you also remember our battle with Team Aqua and Plasma, and with their monsters."

"Yes."

"And ya said this morning you remember our training on Mirage Island."

Ruby could tell where this was going, but what could he do? "Yes; I remember that very well. We even still have Plusle and—"

"Da ya remember our ride back on Pilo?! Da ya remember me telling you I liked you?! Da ya remember telling me ya liked me too?! Da ya remember saying you liked me too, and risking yar life to save mine?!"

Ruby sighed again, and then slowly said, "Yes to all of those. I remember."

"I knew it!" He thought finally, Sapphire would perk up, but she still glared at him and just asked a new sort of question: "So then, were you lying to me? About liking me, I mean?"

Ruby stared down at the tabletop, but still said. "No; Sapphire. I really _do _like you. _A lot_, actually. Would I have broken my vow of pacifism to faint all of those Spoinks to save you, or help save Hoenn, or risked my life, as you said, if I didn't really like you? I really do."

Sapphire kept down the logical path. "So then…_why, _Ruby? Why have you played dumb after all that? Why did you set me up and then break my heart like that?"

Ruby just slumped further down onto the table. "Because Sapphire. Because…it's _me_ I really don't like."

"I don't understand."

"Back when I rescued you, I saw you scared and crying, and I was ashamed of how hard I fought. Yeah; you might've died if I hadn't, but I was young and stupid; okay? I spent years running away from the idea of strength and violence, and living a cushioned life ashamed of my heroic deed. I might even have gotten worse had I not met you in here again, and especially when I learned whom you really were and how you remembered me so favorably, I finally got over it. I have to thank you for that; I finally stopped being ashamed of whom I was back then."

"So no problem then?" Sapphire was now smiling again, hearing a bit of history dear to her in addition to the thanks.

Ruby, however, had his face down in his arms, and didn't see it. "Unfortunately, no. I'm not ashamed of whom I was anymore, but now I'm ashamed of whom I _am_. Look at me; Sapphire. Look at how weak I've become while you got so strong. I want the very best for you, and I…don't think I'm the very best. I'm so sorry for seeming so disinterested all this time, but you don't know what it's like to feel so weak and worthless next to your peer."

Sapphire leaned over the table and used her fingers to push his beanie up off the front of his head, revealing the scar he was still ashamed of, which coaxed him to raise his head and look right in her face as she said, "Really; don't I, though?"

"You do?"

"Ruby; that horrified expression that you remember me having; do you think that I _didn't _feel weak and helpless then?" She let her hand slip down onto his shoulder. "Cos I did, and I know how awful it is. Honest; I hated myself, too. I got this strong just cos I'd seen how awful it felt to be weak."

Ruby seemed warmed, but not much. He was in tears. Then again, so was Sapphire. "Well yeah; but that was long ago. Now you've been strong for a long time. We both made a change back then, but I think I made the wrong one. You're the one that turned out right."

Sapphire retracted her arm. "Let me show you something." She reached into the backpack he had gotten her, and pulled out a printed piece of paper, and then passed it across the table. "Read this to me."

"Mister Birch. I am writing to inform you that your daughter's behavior in class today was unacceptable. I won't speculate here why her ability to read is far below the acceptable level for this grade, but she trivialized the material to an unacceptable degree, and when told this was a problem, threw a tantrum about how she thought she was better than others. This sort of apathy and disruptive behavior cannot and will not be tolerated if your daughter is to continue coming to school. Please explain this to Sapphire, and call or email me back if you wish to discuss this further." The rest of the note was just her address and number.

Sapphire now looked just as sad as he had. "There, Ruby; see? Did I really turn out right? What I am was great for fighting bad guys; yes. Is it always best? Seems not. We all feel helpless sometimes. Y'are not alone."

"So why do I still feel bad?"

Sapphire grabbed his hand and rubbed his palm with her thumb. "Feeling bad about yourself is okay. It's what makes you do stuff! I told ya I got stronger cos I felt bad about bein' weak, and you can, too!"

Ruby said, "I don't know…" and regretted it; this sort of statement had gotten his dad mad.

Sapphire's response, though, was nicer. "C'mon; I'll help ya! It'll be fun!"

Ruby wasn't sure it would be fun. Still, he knew he'd just stay down on himself and make Sapphire sad if he didn't accept. "You'd do that? In that case, I could help with things like reading."

Sapphire looked as though she didn't expect that. "Ruby, honest; I would do this for you even with no reward, because I owe you one. It's cos I was such a stupid little crybaby that you got weak. I gotta do this for you. But still, I'd like your help, too."

Now, they both were happy; even excited, as they ran home. "So what should we do," asked Ruby.

"Hmm," said Sapphire. "Well since we both have backpacks now, how bout we go hikin' this Saturday?"

Ruby was past worry. "Sounds alright to me! Then on Sunday, I could start teaching you."

"Agreed," said Sapphire, as they reached her door. "Well thanks, but I'd better go face my dad right now, so see ya this weekend!"

"Yeah; see—wait Sapphire!" She looked back at him. Ruby continued, embarrassed. "Did we…did we just make a date?" That would be a first; as often as they spent time together, it had always been unstructured.

Sapphire grinned. "Nah; I wouldn't say that!" She walked through the door, closed it most of the way, and then shouted gleefully out of it, "We just made _two!_"


	4. Chapter 3

Professor Birch was waiting right inside to talk to his delinquent daughter, and even remarked on her previous conversation as if not mad at all: "Well; aren't you two just growing up fast?!"

Sapphire wondered if he _would _be mad; considering how lenient he sounded on the phone earlier, but maybe he was just staying cool for the principal. (Yes; as if the principal _wanted _parents not to yell at their misbehaving children!) Apparently not, though. So Sapphire actually tried to skirt the subject of her behavior. "Yeah; Ruby finally is showing some spine again for the first time in a year-More now, I guess."

Easy come, easy go. "Well good, but we've got important matters to discuss."

"Yeah, Dad. What are ya going to do?"

This actually seemed to put her father at loss for words. "Well, a normal father would ground you for this. Except a normal father would have stuck you in school a long time ago, and by this time you'd know better than to do that."

Sapphire quickly beamed, "I think ya've been a great father!"

This made Professor Birch smile. "Well; I like to think I've tried. But I think I've spoiled you, and so have many people who've talked to me about it."

This was news to Sapphire. "People have been mad at you?"

Professor Birch sighed. "Sapphire, I'm sure you've realized that the childhood you've had isn't normal. But you don't know how bad it could have gone. When you told me you wanted to conquer your fears by going out into the wild, I said yes, because I needed an assistant for my research anyway. You really did help me a lot, and I could always see how happy you were, and how strong you were getting, so that made me proud, but there were times you stayed out a long time, and I worried. _Really _worried. There really was a chance that you'd be killed, Sapphire. I just couldn't say no to you when you were having such a great time pursuing your dream, but maybe that just means I wasn't a good parent. Almost everybody I met who brought it up told me I was. I, and you, got lucky. You're still here, and now you're too tough for me to worry about you anymore—at least not as much."

Sapphire took the speech in thoughtfully, and with some pangs of guilt. "Dad; I'm sorry! I shouldn't've pushed you to let me go out so much. If I knew you worried so much-"

Professor Birch cut her off. "Oh; there is a flipside. Yes; I worried about you constantly. But that day you went out and played with Ruby, I _wasn't _worried. That Salamence came out of nowhere, and it was a rude awakening for me. Danger, I learned, could strike my daughter at any moment, and so I thought to myself, she's got to learn to defend herself, and if she wants to, the better. The alternative was me keeping you inside all the time, and I sure couldn't do that. I was a, wild, adventurous child, Sapphire. Even now, I am sometimes a wild, adventurous man. I'm not one to talk about staying inside and being bored. So I let you do what you wanted, and I guess it worked. You faced your fears and conquered them. It's just that didn't prepare you for school."

Professor Birch wasn't kidding about his self-assessment. He spent a lot of time in the field, wandering through grass, climbing cliffs, and occasionally getting jumped by wild Pokemon. He looked the part, with his casual beard, broad frame (he had a gut, but muscles, too), and tendency for shorts; more like a Safari-goer than a scientist. Such men called their work "field studies." Whatever the orthodoxy said about them, Sapphire thought her father was great, and she said so again. "Well, I'm not surprised. I remember ya always used ta tell me, Dad, that most men learn stuff from reading books, but it's better ta learn stuff that isn't in the books and then get books written about you!"

The professor was chipper again. "Hehehe; I remember that! Of course, when you're young, we parents want to butter ourselves up and convince our children that we're infallible. Now nat-"

Sapphire had to ask about this. "You're what?"

Her father explained. "Infallible. Perfect. Well I mean; I'm not at all, but back then, I tried to make you think I was. Maybe I tried to make _me_ think I was, too. Now it's obvious that I didn't do some things maybe I should have."

"Well, I had fun."

The professor clearly wasn't done. "Well thanks, but that's not what we're talking about now. You've said you wanted to go to school, in spite of yourself. Today's incident makes me wonder again if you should. So here's my thought, Sapphire: I won't punish you; considering I feel like I'm more responsible. But I don't know how much I can help you catch up to your peers; at least not in this short of time—and if things don't improve, you can't stay. Even if I vouched for you, they'd throw you out. Maybe put you in Special Ed; as opposed to-"

"Special Ed?" Sapphire was not familiar with that term. "What's that?"

The professor giggled. "A stupid euphemism, if I say so myself. Really, it's simplified school for children who have learning disorders. You don't, and so you'd just feel insulted there."

Sapphire agreed. "Yeah; I would. By the way; what's a euphemism?"

"Well; I'd define it as a nice way to say not-so-nice things."

Sapphire had a feeling she should be embarrassed. "I'm sorry ta sound so stupid."

The professor raised a hand to silence her. "Don't be. Again; if anyone should be sorry, it's me. But what's done is done. So I heard you sounding really pleased with Ruby; I'm guessing it would be pointless to ask you to stop following him to school."

Sapphire didn't even need to think about that one. "Yes. I need ta get through this for him and for me. But good news; Ruby said he'll help me study!"

This cheered her father up. "Well, good for him! I don't know how much it will help, but it can't hurt!"

"Yeah; Dad. I don't know how much it'll help either, but it'll be fun. I'll just think of it as another adventure I'm going on. Except for Math. That's just…Math."

As a scientist, maybe Professor Birch didn't agree, but he certainly laughed hard at that.

* * *

Both Ruby and Sapphire wondered if the week ahead of them would seem oppressively long; given that they were looking forward to its end. Still, it wasn't that painful. They sat together on the bus from then on, talking amiably about their plans, and even when classes weren't exactly pleasant, the thoughts of their upcoming events kept them happy. The teachers probably wouldn't have approved, and called this "spacing out," but at least they weren't being disruptive.

In Ruby's Language class, the quest to form a study group resumed; as did Cedi's quest to form a study group with _him._ Her first question was predictably unrelated to the class. "So how'd it go with Sapphire."

Ruby smiled. "Decently. I don't know how things are going to go from here, but somehow I don't think they'll go too bad."

Now Cedi _did _mention the class; perhaps because she didn't want to dwell on how she might be losing her little game. "So we know each other and all, and I've got some of my other friends, so why don't we make a four-person group?" (Her use of "other friends" perturbed Ruby; it was as if to imply he was her friend, too.)

Ruby saw the two she was motioning towards. One was a girl and one was a boy, which hopefully meant…Ruby wasn't actually sure, but hopefully it meant _something. _Regardless, he had an idea. "Tell you what, Cedi. I will join your study group, _if _you stop saying nasty things about Sapphire to me. Also, stop saying nasty things _to _her when you see her."

Cedi looked a bit peeved, but agreed. "Deal. After all, I don't want to get murdered with a ball again!" Ruby was pleased to see she kept her part of the bargain at least for the day.

Meanwhile, Sapphire did okay in Math class. As she said, it really wasn't fun or tangible, and she still kept thinking about adventures instead. There was a difference today, though; now she wasn't just looking back on them with sad nostalgia; now she was looking _forward _to one.

Physical Education wasn't all that different for Sapphire, save for one thing: Cedi didn't bother her. Cedi kept away. Perhaps for that reason (but probably also the same mind-wandering as before), the soccer game that day was fun enough and plenty easy, but Sapphire couldn't get into it as much. There was even a time when she could have kicked another hard goal, but didn't. Ivy was clearly annoyed. "What was that, Sapphire?! You had a shot!"

"Sorry; Ivy. I was just zonin' out; I guess. Thinking of a fun weekend I'll be spending with my friend."

Ivy lightened the mood a little bit. "Oh; that's alright. So who is she?"

Sapphire blushed. "She's a 'he;' Ivy."

Ruby's time in Physical Education was a bit more different. When he arrived on the same baseball field as Monday, his captain then told him he was needed on the other team. When he went over to talk to their captain, he got the same claim. He went back to his original captain, and got the same claim one more time. Then, his newly validated go-getter attitude resurfaced. "Alright; cut the crap! I know you're both trying to get rid of me, and I'll be honest; I don't want to be here either, but rules are rules, so if you don't accept me here, I'm going right to the teacher and telling him you're breaking them!"

The captain shrunk back, admitted he'd been sussed, and gave Ruby another outfield position. Ruby walked over feeling rather shocked at his own explosion. He had a lot of time to think about it; no ball came to him that day.

Ruby didn't bother going over to watch Sapphire overachieve that day, but he was happy to see her in Geology this time, and they _did _resolve to be lab partners. The teacher announced how he expected group projects to be turned in intermittently throughout the year; in addition to lab work, and this got Ruby talking on the bus ride home. "We know a lot about Hoenn's Geology; when you think about it."

Sapphire said, "Well; I'm more about the Pokémon myself, but I'm glad you do."

"Ah, but the Pokémon are related to the Geology; Kyogre and Groudon for example. So were Team Aqua and Magma. We know all about what makes Hoenn tick!"

This gave Sapphire her own ideas. "Hey yeah; are Volcanoes geologic?"

"Sure are. Of course most geology is less violent, but-"

"Then how 'bout this? For our outing on Saturday, let's go hike Mount Chimney. We can do some sciencey things when we get up there!"

Ruby was hesitant, but he remembered his pledge. "Well, um, alright I guess. I'm scared, but I guess if it works, I'll go. I actually hope you give me a good workout this weekend, because baseball sure doesn't!" While Sapphire chuckled at that, Ruby noticed that Cedi was staring at them in a way that suggested she might have some different interpretations of that statement. Fortunately, she abstained from voicing them.

The next day was pretty uneventful; all things considered. Ruby's Math class passed by as dully as Math usually did, with Cedi not talking to him this time. Sapphire found that in Social Sciences, students had to read from the book aloud, but fortunately she wasn't called upon; so she could just enjoy hearing about history and looking at the pictures. Ruby had a much better time in drawing class, as this time making him think of outings didn't make him feel bad. He got to do some sketches and found himself reasonably good; perhaps being an experienced photographer helped. Sapphire, meanwhile, was still unable to do much work in Language class, but thanks to an email from her father about their plans, she didn't get into any argument with the teacher. Social Sciences gave Ruby the same happy thoughts of the outside world as Geology and Drawing had, and Sapphire was pleased to see that band hadn't yet progressed to choosing an instrument; the lesson still focused on learning to read music—she was _not _so pleased to find it was a bunch of black marks and lines, but it still looked more fun than Math. At least music notation translated into something enjoyable once you could read it.

Friday came and went with the same inconsequentiality, but now they were both excited and a little bit apprehensive. Tomorrow, they would finally start working on their new deal.

* * *

Ruby went to bed for the night not knowing what to expect. He had understood that people wore backpacks on hikes, but little else, so he did virtually nothing to prepare for the next day's events. He also wasn't prepared to be awoken by his father at 5:00. "Up and at 'em, boy," said Norman, sounding, surprisingly, more pleasant than stern.

Ruby just groaned. "Awww, Dad. Why get me up so early?"

"Because I said so," said Sapphire, who walked into his room after Norman.

Norman explained. "I got a call from Sapphire telling me to let her in and get you up early. I'm not usually one to tolerate being woken up Saturday morning, but this time, I'm behind the ordeal."

Ruby stared up at Sapphire, whose presence still didn't make him rise from bed. "This early, Sapphire?"

She nodded and clapped her hands. "That's right. Mount Chimney isn't too close, and hikes take time! So we're gonna get a head start!" To emphasize her point, she yanked Ruby's covers off.

Ruby shivered in his light pajamas, but realized no arguing would do any good. "Okay! I'll get dressed; just go out first!" Sapphire did so. "That means you, too; Dad! I don't care if you saw me naked when I was a baby!"

As Norman stalked out, Ruby thought he could hear him ask, "_Was_?"

Once Ruby emerged from his room dressed in what he thought was the closest thing he owned to hiking gear, Sapphire pushed right back in, saying, "Awright; let's see what types of stuff we can pack." She went right for Ruby's backpack and dumped out his school gear.

Ruby winced. "Aw; be neater!"

"Shut up. Ya shoulda done this before I got here. What will ya eat or drink?"

"Well, I know what I'd like to eat and drink, but they wouldn't fit in the backpack easily."

Norman came back in, apparently hearing this whole thing, and said, "I'm sorry, Sapphire. I guess Ruby didn't ask us to buy anything useful for hiking in preparation." The tone of his voice betrayed a somewhat different meaning: "Shame on you Ruby, for not preparing."

Sapphire asked, "Do you at least have sunglasses, Ruby?"

That he did. Ruby went into his wardrobe, pulled out a pair of flamboyant, 1980s-esque shades, turned back to her, and smiled. "How do I look?"

Sapphire smiled back. "At least they'll help me have a good laugh at you today." Ruby stopped smiling, so she softened it. "Oh sorry; I mean a good laugh _with _you!"

Ruby wasn't insulted by these comments but he couldn't help but worry about just how pathetic he'd be today. Could Sapphire really help him become stronger, or would she just humiliate him?

Sapphire was now improvising. "We'll just get what we need in Lavaridge Town. Do you have the money, Ruby?"

Norman was glad to contribute. "I'll give him some." He approached Ruby with his wallet, but then turned around. "No, actually; I'll give it to _you_ Sapphire! I trust you to get him the right stuff."

She looked proud. "I won't let ya down, Norman! Now come on, Ruby; let's go down and have breakfast with your mom!"

Ruby started following her downstairs, fearing that this would be the last palatable meal he ate all day. Then he turned back to Norman briefly, and said, "You know, sometimes I think you like her more than you like me."

Norman didn't apologize; instead saying, "Who knows; maybe in another life, _she_'s my kid!"

"Then she'd wind up a very different girl," Ruby dissed back, and ran downstairs before his father could yell back in front of Sapphire and mom.

A normal breakfast gave Ruby more energy, and so did coffee, which he didn't drink without lots of cream and sugar, and was just so doctored today to ensure Ruby would get moving. Sapphire all-but dragged him out the door, with Norman saying, "I'd say be back by sunset, but I trust you on this."

"Which one of us, Dad," asked Ruby.

"Figure it out."

Meanwhile, Sapphire walked over to Professor Birch, who was also up, and he passed her a Pokéball. "Happy hiking, Sapphire. Now you take good care of him!"

Sapphire had to ask. "Do you mean Pilo or Ruby?"

"Figure it out."

Sapphire released Pilo the Tropius, and said to Ruby, "All aboard for Lavaridge Town!" She offered to give Ruby a boost up, but he proved able to climb onto the creature's back himself, if not gracefully. "Maybe I won't need to take care of Ruby too much," thought Sapphire. "But I doubt it." Whatever the case, she wanted to be there for him.

* * *

Riding Pilo through the skies of Hoenn certainly brought back memories to Ruby—memories he'd never actually forgotten; despite pretending to—and he knew it was only a matter of time before Sapphire seized on its significance and brought it up, so he did his best to control the conversation. "So Sapphire; anything I should know about hiking?"

"Well, safety first. Wild Pokémon might attack, so keep alert and keep your balls close. Also drink when you need it, but not too much or too fast; or you might choke—and try not ta stop moving ta drink, either. Really, though, showing's better than tellin' here."

Ruby was worried by this. "Wait, _what _about choking? I don't _want_ to experience that firsthand, and I thought I knew how to drink, so if I don't really, tell me how now."

Sapphire was a bit humorous. "Ya have gills, Ruby?"

"No; I don't get it."

She clarified. "Then like most people, you can't breathe water, and when you do something tough, you breathe hard and sometimes fast. So when you drink, take a small sip ya can swallow fast, before your next breath; don't let the water be in your throat anymore when you suck air again!"

Put this way, it made great sense to Ruby, and embarrassed him. "Oh. Sorry to sound stupid."

"Aw; that's okay buddeh; I sound stupid a lot, too." They both laughed at that for a while. Then, Sapphire capitalized on the good vibrations to grab Ruby's hand in hers, getting a startled look from him. "What," she asked innocently. "I might fall off again! Or maybe you'll fall!"

Ruby just sighed. "You'll never let me forget that bit; will you?"

Sapphire tightened her grip on his hand to a painful level. "Da ya wanna ferget it?!"

"No! Sorry Sapphire; that was a bad way to say it. I mean, that means a lot to you; doesn't it?"

Sapphire loosened her grip and returned to being pleasant. "Well hey; if I fall—not sayin' I will, but _if_—it's good if you remember you can hold onta me. People are stronger than they know sometimes, Ruby; that means you, too. When you care about something, or some_one-_"

Ruby interrupted. "People _come on _stronger than they know sometimes, too; Sapphire."

"What does that mean?"

Ruby decided against explaining. "I'm not quite sure, exactly." That was a lie, and possibly another one Sapphire saw right through, but Ruby changed the subject by asking more about hiking. Despite his nonchalance, however, he kept holding hands with Sapphire. In truth, he liked the feeling, and it wasn't until they got to Lavaridge Town that they broke the grasp.

* * *

Lavaridge Town was a prized destination for some people. Its famous hot springs attracted even the wealthy, and at any given time you could find people lounging in them. However, as it lay relatively close to the foot of Mount Chimney, for some, it was merely the starting point of another journey. The store Sapphire led Ruby into catered to this sort. Karo's Sporting Goods was smaller than usual sports stores, because it was just for the outdoorsperson-type of sports, but it was still big enough to have plenty of those sorts of items. Hunting, Camping, Hiking, and Fishing all had labeled sections, and so did Martial Arts—because in this wild land, who knew what you might meet? Sapphire took in the signs and understood about where to go—she may have been a bad reader, but these were words she recognized.

Her first remark seemed bizarre at first. "Hey Ruby; ya know all your clothes sizes, right?"

He smiled. "Indeed; I even know all of _yours _better than _you_ do!" A nearby customer gave him a suspicious glance.

"Then c'mon; let's pick out your new duds!" Sapphire didn't mean that as a pun, but Ruby wondered if he should take it that way.

It turned out there wasn't that much to buy. Sapphire showed him the type of boots to get—not too heavy, but thick and surefooted—and also some thick gloves—Ruby had some, but Sapphire suggested more specialized. She also made him pick out a swimsuit, because as she said, he might need it in the future. Then onto the sort of unappetizing but easy-to-prepare food Ruby had been dreading. The rest of Sapphire's purchases, Ruby didn't exactly recognize. "Got what you need, Miss," asked a funny-looking bearded man behind the counter.

Sapphire smiled. "What I need; yeah. Maybe this guy needs more, but it ain't sold here." The clerk laughed. "By the way, is Flannery around right now?" Lavaridge Town's Gym Leader was good friends with Sapphire.

"'Fraid not; Miss. She went away somewhere to train-maybe it was Dewford Town, but I can't be sure."

"Well thanks anyway," said Sapphire, and she and Ruby made their exit.

* * *

Once outside, Ruby launched right into a comment that had been brewing: "That wasn't funny."

"Huh," asked Sapphire.

"That crack you made to the clerk about how pathetic I am."

"C'mon, Ruby; we tease each other all the time."

Though that was true, Ruby was insistent. "But we also know and value each other's good sides. I'll not have you portraying me as some one-dimensional wimp to our peers."

Sapphire didn't understand some of those words, but got the gist. "A'right, I'm really sorry, Ruby. Hold out your hand."

Ruby did so while still objecting. "This again? If you're trying to sweet-talk me into-" Splat! Instead of grabbing Ruby's hand as he expected, Sapphire squeezed some slime into it! "Ugh! What was that?!" Ruby wiggled his hand excessively, trying to get the slime off of his hand, and in the process flung some into Sapphire's face!

She spat out a mouthful while growling at the pain of more in her eyes, and grabbed at her refillable water bottle. "Cloth! Get cloth!" Ruby, knowing he owed her, picked a thick and fortunately, unused strip of tissue paper from his pocket (Ruby never put any tissue paper back in his pocket after even the most mild use), and handed it to her. She squirted it with water from her bottle, and then wiped her eyes, but found the tissue didn't take too much water without dissolving. "Another!" Ruby did as he was told. Eventually, she got her eyes cleaned out.

"Sorry," whimpered Ruby. "What was that all about?"

"That," Sapphire growled through her fanged teeth, "Was sunscreen. Ya rub it on yar skin to keep from burning up, but ya keep it outta yar eyes! Don't ya know anything?!"

"I—I'm sorry! I think heard of it somewhere. Give me more, please!"

Sapphire wasn't over it. "I'm not sure I wanna! Ya can just burn for all I care; like ya burnt my eyes!"

"Sapphire, please! Give me another chance!" She just closed her eyes and looked away. So Ruby tried another tactic; he grabbed her hand and forced her to open up and look at him. He continued. "Look, Sapphire; I know I can be a really pathetic wimp. I know it annoys you. But I told you I don't like it either; that I want to get stronger. You could leave me to my own fate, but I know you're a much better person than that. I know you'll help me. You helped me even before you liked me, and since then, you've told me you _do_ like me. So do the right thing, Sapphire, and I…will try to do the right thing, too."

Ruby wondered if he was in for a beating, but Sapphire seemed cooled down. "You know me too well. I'm happy you do. Fine; let's see ya try ta do the right thing now. Open that hand again!" Once he did so, she squirted it with more lotion. He winced but cooperated. "Now rub it inta your arms and face and neck. You don't need to get where your clothes are. Oh! And close yar eyes when ya grease yar face!"

Ruby got it done easily enough. He seemed grossed out while doing it, but as the stuff disappeared into his skin, he brightened up and even seemed proud. "There, see, Sapphire? I'm learning!"

She grinned. "Well then; just keep learning in a way that doesn't almost blind me, and we're good ta go!"

* * *

The ascension up Mount Chimney from Lavaridge Town was easy enough at first; with stairways and ramps cut into the slope in order to accommodate tourists of all levels. As the two got further up, though, things began to change; getting steeper and less pedestrian, and then a sign written in several languages drove the change home: "You are entering Jagged Pass. Caution is advised. The mountain can also be scaled by riding the cable car." Ruby read it aloud, and then said, "I guess we aren't going to do that."

"Nope," Sapphire said brightly. "Now follow me; and I'll show you how it's done!" She trotted off towards one of sides of the mountain that were in essence, walls, and then along these bits for a while before looking back at Ruby and beckoning him to join her. "Look here; Ruby!" He got close and _did _look. "So yeah; "Jagged Pass" sounds nasty, but actually, the jags are its weakness."

"I'm not sure I follow you," said Ruby; though he could deduce Sapphire aimed to climb.

"Just watch," she assured him, while grabbing onto the top of the "wall" with one hand, and then turning to grab the other. "See; round rocks are hard to get ahold of. But these straight things? Piecea cake!" To emphasize, she tightened her grip, swung her right leg up over the edge, and then rolled the rest of her over and up. "Now you go!"

Ruby approached the wall. "But what if I fall?"

Sapphire had an answer readied. "From here, it won't hurt much. But I'll hold onto your hand while you try." He extended it to her. "No; you have to grab the ledge first." Cautiously, Ruby did, with his one hand and then the other. Sapphire positioned her right hand over his left in a way that wasn't applying uncomfortable pressure, but could come down strong enough if she needed to secure him. "Now swing!" Ruby did so; attempting to mimic her motion of swinging right. It wasn't far enough, but Sapphire said, "Keep trying!" Gravity carried Ruby left and up in that direction, but he knew his physics enough to use this. As he swung back right via gravity, he also applied his own strength. Still not enough, but closer. He repeated the motion with still more momentum, and finally got it; rolling himself onto the cliff in near disbelief. Sapphire helped him to stand by his left hand, and then grabbed his right, and shook it. "Good job, Ruby!"

Ruby was skeptical. "But I wasn't nearly as good as you!"

Sapphire grinned. "Well, neither was _I _when I started! You made a start when ya weren't sure ya could, and that's lots braver than doing something you know ya can! Best of all; my eyes aren't hurt!" They both laughed at this. "Now c'mon! More cliffs await!"

Ruby was amazed to find that didn't even discourage him. Maybe scaling a cliff for the first time boosted his confidence, maybe knowing Sapphire was there to help him removed fear, and maybe it was also how she grabbed his hand and shook it, and smiled at his efforts, that gave him a warm, fuzzy feeling inside, but whatever the case, he kept climbing the cliffs—not exactly _well_, but without resentment, and a feeling he might even be getting better.

From the second cliff-on, Sapphire let Ruby try to climb first, and stayed behind to catch him if he fell. She kept running ahead after they got on (relatively) level ground, though; maybe because she was more energetic and enthusiastic, maybe because she knew more where the good cliffs were, and maybe because she wanted to set an example. Still, Ruby was keeping up with her enough, and Sapphire even remarked on it. "You're keeping a good pace."

Ruby took the compliment well. "Yeah; my endurance has gotten better. I don't know quite why, but it's gotten better."

Sapphire chimed in "Well, I bet breathing this crisp, clean mountain air helps!"

Ruby couldn't resist. "Well, until I get downwind of you!" Sapphire took a while to get that, and then glared. "Just kidding. Your hygiene has gotten better, too."

Sapphire pointed him to the next ledge, and when he climbed this one, he let out a pained groan that genuinely concerned her. "What's wrong?! Are you hurt," she asked as she swung up to join him quickly.

Ruby looked less pained and more embarrassed. "Eh, Sapphire? Speaking of things that stink, I think, well, I think I need-"

"Oh," Sapphire laughed before letting him finish. "Well then! Time for a _hole _new lesson!" Ruby groaned again.


	5. Chapter 4

Sapphire escorted Ruby over to a clump of trees, with an aura of what he felt was a bit too much pride in knowing this procedure. Once he got to the place she was pointing to, she began pointing _down. _"Dig," she said.

Ruby still had his own priorities. "With my hands?"

Sapphire glowered. "No; with the thick gloves you're already wearing! If y'are gonna whine, ya can just try ta figure it out yarself!"

"Sorry; sorry! I'll dig!" He didn't do it in the fashion of someone who was used to digging with his hands (or even with a shovel) and Ruby was surprised (or maybe not, at this point) to find that digging with his hands was a bit of a workout in itself, but he did it.

Sapphire _did _console him with, "Now; it doesn't have to be too deep. Or maybe it _does_. How bad is it?"

Ruby was blunt. "I can already say, this is the worst thing I have ever experienced!"

She thought he was playing dumb just to gripe again. "Ruby, I'm about ta beat the crap outta you; _truly. _I mean, how much o' that crap is there?"

Ruby got back in line. "N-no more than normal!"

She came over and looked at the hole. "Then I'd say just a _bit _deeper; ya should make it wider, though, since y'are new ta this." Ruby got to work with more dedication than before—maybe because she'd scared him back into line, or maybe because it was getting more urgent-and soon had what Sapphire judged to be sufficient, so she continued. "Now; stand there, turn away from it, and pose like you're about ta lift something heavy…Oh; maybe ya never did that. So…imitate Coco and Nana!"

Apparently, things still weren't so urgent that Ruby couldn't still be a bit droll, as his response was "Mew, mew, whoop whoop!"

Sapphire growled. "Ya know what I mean! Now be sure to pull your pants down, and keep 'em out of the way."

Defiant to the end, Ruby actually did a bit of growling himself. "Quit watching; you sicko!"

"Good luck on our own, then; buddeh," Sapphire laughed as she walked away, but _did _keep turned away. Meanwhile, Ruby couldn't take it anymore. He truly meant what he said when calling this the worst thing he ever experienced, and he hated sinking to this…beastly level. Yet he judged he'd hate having an accident even more, and so he did his best to get in the position Sapphire recommended, made sure all of his precious clothes were out of the way, and shocked himself by actually accomplishing the dirty deed; more even than he was shocked to find he could climb cliffs. Sapphire said, as if on cue, "Hehe; now look what I got for you!" She then reached into her backpack to pull out the all-important roll of toilet paper and chucked it over her shoulder at him. "It ain't even grass! Hehehe; ain't I thoughtful?!"

Ruby scooped it up and tried to wipe instantly, but found he needed to remove the gloves to get the requisite agility. He finished that and then took an important item of his own out. He'd never seen any reason before to carry toilet paper, but he always had wet wipes on hand, for whenever he thought his hands were dirty. This time he also used a wipe just in case the toilet paper didn't do enough, then another to clean his hands off. He chucked them all in the hole and left it with haste. Then, Sapphire had to say, "Wait; cover it back up!" Groaning, Ruby put his gloves back on, and pushed the displaced dirt back into place. He resented having to wash his hands again, so astonishingly—mostly because he'd have to keep wearing the gloves, and suddenly, dirt on them didn't seem so bad—he didn't.

* * *

"That," groaned Ruby, as they resumed their hike, "was traumatizing."

Sapphire disagreed. "That was _hilarious_!"

"Maybe, if you're sadistic. _I _was humiliated! I went through something so grotesque-"

Sapphire had no patience for that. "Aw; shaddup! You wanna talk humiliation, ya shoulda just gone on until ya exploded in your precious little pants! I, luckily, would not stand for that, so I helped ya-"

Ruby could cut off, too. "Why? You've smelled worse things than that!"

Sapphire shot back, "Smell ain't what I'm talkin' about; hearing is. I know if that happened, ya'd never stop whinin' the whole hike!"

"I don't know if I want to stop as it is! I'm disgusted at that memory; I thought your goal was to make me _less _ashamed of myself!"

That did it. Sometimes things hit Sapphire worse than he intended, and this, clearly was one of them, because she grabbed him under his left shoulder and lifted him into the air menacingly, saying, "My goal was ta help you! But clearly, ya don't even appreciate bein' helped, and that cuts it! So ferget even respecting yar cleanness and taste dirt!" Accordingly, she chucked him onto the ground and began running ahead up the hill, eventually coming to more jags and scaling them even more quickly than she usually did.

Ruby was so distraught at this rejection he couldn't even care about the dirt. "Sapphire; wait! I'm sorry! Please stop running away!" She didn't. Evidently, she didn't find this hilarious anymore. She kept fading into the distance, and the cliffs and trees did even more to obscure her. Ruby looked on after her as he lay on the ground, and then looked on some more after he got up. Then, though he feared it would be pointless, he began to run after her.

* * *

Ruby felt he was covering a reasonable distance. Normally he wouldn't be hugely dedicated to running; especially in spaces that could be steep, but this run was important to him. Tenacity aside, though, there were good reasons not to run in a steep, craggy area, and after one misstep on a hill, he tripped and fell hard on his face, in worse pain than he had been in on the baseball field. He used tissue to rub some of his water on his face, but found himself getting low on both tissue and water. (Zuzu was on hand in his ball, and ready to produce water, but Ruby was convinced Zuzu's wasn't clean.) His face and upper torso still hurt, and he was far filthier than he approved of. This humiliation was getting worse and worse…and yet, this _wasn't_ just another stupid baseball game that Ruby didn't really care about. He got back up and resumed his charge.

Jagged cliffs, which Ruby soon reached more of, presented a new challenge. Despite his accomplishments earlier, he'd always had Sapphire there to help him up. Ruby had been amazed to learn he didn't necessarily _need _that help, but the lack of it meant this was more risky. Ruby thought about that the first time he viewed a cliff, but after a bit of that thinking, he grabbed it and struggled up it; just as he had before when Sapphire had still been there. Now his confidence was boosted slightly, and he kept moving forward and climbing more of the jags as he reached them. Just as with running, though, the confidence went too far, as at one cliff, Ruby lost his grip and fell down onto his back, in far more pain than falling on his front had caused.

He wondered if he had cracked his spine, and if his legs would function. Of course, it didn't take long for him to wiggle them and find that, indeed, they still did. Still, getting back up proved very painful, and grabbing the cliff again even more so—on top of maybe tempting fate. Ruby grudgingly resolved that he wasn't going to climb another cliff today.

Yet here, unlike with washing himself, he could call on a Pokémon's help. "Come on out; Ruru!" The effeminate-looking Pokemon, Kirlia, was in a sense a strange one to help with feats of strength, but then again, Sapphire had, and maybe Ruru was a tomboy, too. She certainly could levitate a great deal—at max, a moving van—but not for very long. Still, up a short cliff wasn't very long, and there was space enough between cliffs. Zuzu and Mimi could have lifted Ruby up the cliffs _physically_, but Ruby found them too slimy to touch willingly. He'd suffered enough filth today, and at this point, if the ends were equal, then cheating out of more was better than reaffirming strength he may not have, especially given the pain. At least he could still walk, though running, too, he judged was now too painful and too risky.

He also felt his energy waning, and realized he was hungry. Did he have any food on hand? He realized he hadn't even watched while Sapphire stocked his backpack for him, and felt guilty as he searched through it. Yet he _did _find some she'd packed him; jerky and some trail mix consisting of dried raisins and berries. He wondered why she hadn't carried it all herself. Was she being thoughtful; as if insuring Ruby would be able to eat even on the off chance something happened to her? Or was her thought that _this _would happen, and she'd inevitably leave him out of spite? Well, then at least she didn't let him starve, but that conclusion was too painful to Ruby for him to dwell on it; eating this dry, processed junk was bad enough.

* * *

Somewhere up Mount Chimney, Sapphire stood and looked around. She remembered this spot from her run-in with Team Aqua, and reminiscing about their fight was fun, but not enough to cheer her up. The more recent events kept haunting her, and she regretted the way she had parted with Ruby down the mountain, though whether she should regret that he was a fussy brat or that she was a vindictive brute was harder to decide—though she wouldn't likely admit any personal fault to him, and probably not to anyone else, either. Maybe _both_ of their personalities were regrettable, but both were pretty obviously defined and stubborn, so what could you do?

Go back to hating each other? Sapphire knew that wouldn't be possible. As gruff as she had gotten; as much as she had come to resent the sweet and innocent girly-girl she had been before that Salamence upset things, Sapphire just wasn't a hateful person. She was too fixated on the good that people could and occasionally did do when they set their minds to it; Ruby included, and for all his faults, she still tended to see him as that hero who saved her back then. Often enough, he'd proven that deep down he _was _still that hero, which was why Sapphire couldn't let him go, and as annoying as he'd been throughout this trip, he'd impressed her by accepting the burden.

As Sapphire's mind swam, her eyes began to water. She didn't like crying; it felt frail, so instead of getting sad, she tried getting mad. She scooped up a grapefruit-sized stone and hurled it at the wall of the mountain, taking some content at the noise it made, but not enough. Instead, she sat down on a larger rock, and continued facing her troubled thoughts, when suddenly, "Sapphire! Sapphire; where are you?!" Ruby was close, and he sounded just as miserable as she was.

"I'm up here," she said grumpily, and Ruby's footsteps announced when he got nearer, but Sapphire didn't look back at him.

Ruby said the predictable thing. "Sapphire; I'm sorry."

She still didn't look. "Ya've said that before, but ya never own up."

Then he went further. "And I want to thank you. Thank you for the help climbing, and…with that hole, and thank you for bringing the toilet paper and for packing food in my backpack. You've been really considerate and I hope you believe me when I say how much I appreciate it."

Now Sapphire _did _look at him, and was shocked by the sight. "Oh God, Ruby!" Ruby's prized clothes were covered with dirt. His face had a nasty red scrape on it. He looked thoroughly battered and miserable…but also rather determined; like he'd pushed through the misery. So she had to say, "Seeing you that way, yes; I believe you."

Ruby managed a smile, though not a large one. "Yeah; I feel even worse than I look. I had some bad falls. It's crazy, but something about seeing you leave like that made me not care about the risks."

Sapphire just sat there staring, becoming ever more horrified. Back when that Salamence had attacked, she hadn't been able to fight, and as such, blamed herself for Ruby being hurt in the battle, and she'd pledged that she'd never cause him or anyone she cared about to be hurt again. It seemed she'd just failed that pledge, so she rushed over to hug him, saying, "Ruby; _I'm _sorry!" Making it even worse, he yelped and nearly fell over from it.

"Sorry Saph; I'm tender right now. Please keep the pressure off."

She was speechless; hesitating before finally saying, "So what now?"

At least Ruby was befuddled, too. "Well, I don't know. I guess I made it up here, though it almost killed me."

Sapphire wasn't exactly so sure what to do next; Ruby seemed too weak to do any more hiking, so what else could you do here? She thought back to what she'd done before, and then, all of a sudden, she had it. "You could use a bath."

He finally giggled. "You know me well. You know; I'm pretty sure I've heard you say that. But yeah; I'd like to clean up."

Sapphire spoke from experience, "And it would ease the pain, too."

Ruby smiled bigger. "Yeah; a hot bath would be really great right now."

Sapphire got to the point. "Then I've got just the place!" Clearly, Ruby had been implying they should go home, but Sapphire confirmed that wasn't her idea by pulling out the bathing suit that she'd bought him. "Then put this on, and then follow me through there." She motioned towards a gap that cut through the mountain's slope, and then walked away through it. Ruby called out for her, only for her to yell out, "Don't ya dare come through just yet!"

Ruby hadn't even approached the opening, but he hadn't changed yet, either. What was Sapphire planning here? He decided he'd better do what she said, since he had no intention of making her angry a third time today. There was something baseball players said about that, which Ruby probably would never have been thinking about, except that since that bad day in PE, falling painfully on his face reminded him of baseball. At any rate, he looked around to make sure nobody could see him (actually, he sincerely hoped nobody would see him banged up like this, even if he _wasn't _changing), slipped off his embarrassingly filthy clothes, and pulled on his bathing suit as quickly as possible. In the process, Ruby saw something that shocked him: Some of his muscles were bulging; obviously not too much, but more than he was ever used to seeing. They also ached badly, as he'd noticed long before. He looked away from them and called out, "Okay Sapphire; I'm in my bathing suit. Can I come over yet?"

Her reply was quick and suddenly enthusiastic rather than mad, as she had been last time he called. "Yeah; come here!" Still confused, Ruby grabbed his filthy clothes in the cautious, dangly way one might grab a snake by the tail, along with his backpack, and made his way through the gap, only to see Sapphire, in her _own _bathing suit, relaxing in a steaming hot spring pool. "C'mon in," she said with a smile. "The water's fine."

* * *

Sapphire had understated it—the hot mineral water felt _great_. Ruby couldn't quite discern why, but he found it more relaxing than bath water. He also noticed it had a sort of smell to it, in a way that water usually didn't, though not a bad smell; more like firewood burning. Presumably the "minerals" in mineral water, whatever they were, were effectual.

Ruby was so focused on the water itself that he hardly felt any of the embarrassment he might normally have sitting in a pool with a girl. Still, he eventually looked over at Sapphire, and said, "Wow. Who'd have thought Mother Nature would make something I liked?!"

Sapphire chuckled. "I really wondered about that; yeah."

Ruby chuckled along with her. "Well; I'm flattered you could come up with this idea for me."

Sapphire couldn't lie there. "Well; actually I had the idea cos this was here. Back when I fought Team Aqua ta rescue Flannery, after that we took a dip in this pool. It got cold fast, though, cos Team Aqua wrecked the volcano. Good thing we set things right."

Here Ruby got more feelings of inferiority hearing of Sapphire's exploits, so he asked "Does that 'we' mean and 'you and Flannery,' or 'you and me'?"

Sapphire grinned. "I mean _us, _Ruby. Flannery and I couldn't stop Team Aqua's plan back then. It's you and me who later battled them and Team Magma to the end."

Ruby glanced down at the water, and said, "Well fancy that! I guess this pool owed me this dip, then!"

"A _lot _of people owe you a _lot _of things, Ruby," Sapphire said. She was a bit perturbed at him being nonchalant at her sentimental musing, but realized maybe he had been too humiliated today to be sweet. So she brought that back up, carefully. "Look, I'm sorry. Today wasn't very fun; was it?"

Ruby actually worried about a nice way to answer that, but ultimately revealed his actual feelings. "Well, sometimes not. It was often horribly embarrassing and sometimes even very painful. I must say though, Sapphire, I give you credit for one thing I can't credit my PE teacher for: Today was never _dull_. I actually was _doing_ things, and seeing new things, the whole day."

Sapphire hadn't even expected a compliment in reply. "Wow; thanks pal! Ya must've had bad days in PE, eh?"

Ruby spilled at that. "Yes; actually I should credit you for _two _things; the other being that I actually felt like I was getting stronger today. I noticed my muscles were bigger, and I had no idea that happened so fast."

Sapphire giggled. "Well, they _always _bulge after a workout, and then they shrink again unless ya work out a lot. Still, good job actually giving 'em a start!"

Ruby took this conversation back to the inadequacies of their school's physical education program, for reasons Sapphire could only speculate. "Yeah; that PE was rubbish. They didn't do anything but order us to play baseball, and the guy they put in charge of me just made me stand out in the middle of nowhere. I didn't get any exercise _or _fun. I'm sure I'm not the _only _guy like that, either."

"You should complain to them," said Sapphire.

Ruby just frowned. "What would that do?"

Sapphire's answer made good sense, though Ruby didn't think that mattered: "They're PE teachers. Their job is making kids stronger. If they ain't making 'em stronger, then they need to change so they are."

Ruby shrugged. "That's ideal, but I still would rather not bother."

Sapphire sighed. "I like you, Ruby, but ya need ta stand up for what's right more. Be brave."

Ruby felt a bit hurt by that, but tried to resist it. "I don't usually do that unless something is really important to me."

Instead of criticizing him more, which Ruby thought she would, Sapphire got a mischievous smile on. "You were very brave ta make that painful trip up here after me. I guess _I _must be really important to you!"

Ruby blushed, and didn't say anything. Sapphire looked like she was waiting for him to say something though, so he didn't lie. "You sure are. Speaking of that trip, though, I sure would like to get my clothes washed before I put them on again."

Sapphire wasn't thrilled with his abrupt change of subject, but still asked, "So ya wanna dip 'em in here?"

Ruby grinned. "I'd hate to sully this lovely pool with that dirt, especially when I'm _in _it! So I've got a better idea. You have your Pokémon with you, right?

Sapphire had an idea where this was going, but she actually wanted to hear this. "Yeah; 'cept for Walo, since he's really my Dad's and not much good in the mountains."

Ruby chuckled at that. A whale in the mountains was a pretty funny thought. "Well do you have Relo?"

"Actually, yeah! I take him where there are streams and stuff. I'm not sure he'd like this spring, though."

Ruby thought that over, but not long. "Actually, I think it's okay; he probably likes springs. So why don't you bring him out, along with Toro?" Sapphire took the suggestion with reservations, but obvious curiosity. "Now," said Ruby. "Could you have Toro heat some rocks up?"

Sapphire was so curious she authorized it. "You heard him. Ya guys can obey Ruby for now, unless he tries anything sneaky!"

"Gee thanks Sapphire." Ruby clearly didn't expect that. He bounded out of the water—his feet would get a bit muddy doing it, but for this stunt, he didn't care. "So grab some rocks and heat them, Toro!" Meanwhile, Ruby picked up his pants and held them out, then called out to the rocky fish who indeed seemed to be enjoying his swim in the hot spring, "Now Relo; spray this!" The fish did as it was told, though clearly it didn't get what this was all about. Ruby turned his pants around so they got the full wash, and then lay them down on a large, flat rock. He and Relo repeated the process with his shirt. Then, Ruby motioned towards the large, flat rock he'd spread his clothes out on, and motioned for Toro. "Now take those rocks you heated, and rub them on my clothes. Not too fast! Careful not to burn them! …Good…"

Sapphire watched dumbfounded as her intimidating fiery bird did its best impression of some clichéd 1950s housewife. She thought maybe, she should get angry at Ruby, for cutting a sentimental conversation short and for demeaning her precious Pokémon like this, but the sight just prevented it, and she instead broke out laughing.

Ruby laughed back, and said, "Pretty neat, eh?"

Sapphire shrugged. "Well, ya certainly have an…interesting way of looking at things, Ruby. It's strategic, and yeah; it _is _neat sometimes."

"Really," he said. "You're not just _saying _that?"

"No really," said Sapphire. "Of cos this isn't the most romantic display of that thinking, but it still reminds me of that time you made those plans back on Mirage Island. That training session, it was the first time I saw enough of you to really like you."

Ruby, as usual, got nervous about this. "Well, uh thanks!"

Sapphire accepted that for now. "Oh, and how did ya know Relo would like this hot spring?"

Ruby still was nervous. "Well, I didn't exactly. But I've heard Relicanths live in the deep parts of the ocean, and life there, I remember reading, congregates around thermal vents."

The word was unfamiliar to Sapphire. "Are those like hot springs? Underwater?"

"Yeah; that's it basically."

"Wow, you learned that reading? Even I didn't know that; I guess I could hardly go to the sea bottom to see it myself. Guess I could now, though, eh Relo?" She patted the fish on the head.

"Yeah," said Ruby. "I used to read a lot of animal books, back when I wasn't going outside much. I've always loved Pokémon, even when I didn't love Pokémon battles."

Sapphire was becoming more and more fascinated in him, but she didn't say anything this time, beyond just, "Cool!"

"Well," said Ruby. "I think it's about time to get back in my clothes." He fingered his clothes carefully to make sure they weren't burning, but still hot, and then dipped his feet back in the spring to wash them, and stuck them back in the hot socks to dry them, putting on his other clothes too. Then, to Sapphire's chagrin, he walked back through the opening, as if troubled and wanting to be alone. She waited in the pool for a while, but eventually got dressed again herself and walked out after him.

* * *

Sapphire found Ruby standing, silently, looking off beyond the slope of the mountain at the view below. You couldn't see all of Hoenn from here, but the amount you could see was still quite impressive. Sapphire walked up next to him, and asked the self-affirming, "Looking at Hoenn, eh?"

"Yeah," he said without looking away. "It's really something, isn't it?"

"Sure is," said Sapphire, and then she couldn't resist, "Aren't you glad you helped save this?"

Surprisingly, Ruby didn't resist that. "Yeah. I'm glad I _stayed _here, too."

Sapphire still didn't push that as far as she could, she just asked, "So are we done today?"

Ruby sighed. "I think maybe we are, Sapphire. I'm still achy, though the spring helped. I think I need to go home and rest; especially if we're going out again tomorrow."

"Alright, that's fair," said Sapphire. Ruby thought her voice sounded a bit sad. Still she called out Pilo the Tropius once more, correctly assuming that Ruby didn't want to (maybe even _couldn't_) hike back down in his condition. Ruby gradually turned around and mounted the treelike Pokémon, with Sapphire swinging herself on as well. "Let's go," she said; maybe to Pilo and maybe to him. Then, in a strange shade of the morning's events, as they ascended, Ruby surprised her by grabbing her hand and holding it. Sapphire turned to look at him. He didn't really look back, but obviously knew what he was doing here, and she liked it just fine.

The ride home was spent mostly staring down at Hoenn and admiring and talking about it. Looking down from this height scared Ruby, but when he felt tense he just squeezed Sapphire's hand harder. Did she also feel scared at times? Ruby doubted it, but he noted there were a few times Sapphire squeezed hard, too. When they reached Littleroot Town, the sun hadn't yet set, but it was getting late, so Ruby walked over to the Birch house to bid adieu to Sapphire. "Well," he said. "Thanks for an…_interesting_ and eventful day. Hopefully tomorrow, I'll be able to provide an interesting and eventful day for _you_." He hugged her, though not hard; he was still sore. Sapphire smiled. "I betcha will." Then she went inside to talk to her father.

* * *

"So how was Ruby today," asked the Professor. By this time, he obviously knew that he was what was on Sapphire mind a lot.

Sapphire varied her voice a lot in reply: "Weird and annoying, but also very, very sweet. As usual."

"So no events I should note," inquired her father.

Sapphire wondered if he was nosing around at their actually-nonexistant sexual behavior—he probably would have balked at hearing they bathed together, but they'd worn suits and Ruby had barely seemed interested in her then. Before that, though… "Ya know; Dad? There _was _something different about Ruby today."

The Professor looked relieved but still asked, "Oh? What's that?"

Sapphire smiled. "He seemed more energetic. Stronger. Not that much; of cos, but he was also brave and dedicated to following me up the mountain; like he didn't even _care_ if he was too weak; he just kept going through the pain. Never seen him like that since that battle we fought, but he might have been more impressive here, and I think I know what it is!"

Her father chuckled a bit nervously, as if she'd figured some personal thing right. "So what do you think?"

Sapphire felt proud. "I've seen it a whole bunch helping ya research. Ruby's in rut!"

No more nervous chuckling; now Professor Birch threw his head back laughing. Sapphire wasn't mad, but she was a bit embarrassed. Finally her father regained his composure enough to say. "Sapphire, honey; people don't go into rut. What you're seeing is Ruby entering puberty!"

Another unfamiliar word to Sapphire. "What's puberty, Dad?"

He had another humorous explanation. "It's like rut, except it lasts longer. Some say for us men, it lasts a lifetime. At this age, we _really _start being attracted to girls, and our bodies change to get stronger, and we can do some crazy things for the girls we care about!"

This seemed to fit perfectly, and Sapphire was tantalized. "Wow; so that's even better than rut!"

Her father joked, "Well; you won't see Ruby growing antlers or head butting with other boys for your affection, but otherwise yeah; this is better than rut and could be a good thing for you."

Sapphire laughed hard at the image of Ruby making like a deer. "So Dad; anything else you can tell me about this puberty thing?"

He looked nervous. "Well, are you sure you're a girl, Sapphire?"

"Aw; c'mon. Ya know I am!"

He smiled nervously. "Then yes, but I'd rather not while you're waxing romantic! Just for the present, did you like what you saw of Ruby today?"

"Oh yes;" beamed Sapphire. "Well, in some ways. He was still annoying and helpless in ways, but I loved his dedication."

"Ah," said her father. "Then I recommend whatever you did today, keep doing it. Well, in some ways."

"Will do Dad," said Sapphire as she went upstairs.


	6. Chapter 5

**Symbiosis Chapter 5**

**[NOTE: Many fanfiction authors write these sorts of bold comments at the beginning. I generally want to avoid it, but I feel I should say a few things here. I am sorry that this took a month to get done; hopefully most chapters won't. I've been busy looking for a new house or condo to move to, but on top of that, I will admit, I had tremendous writer's block with this one. For a while, I had a hard time figuring out how to make a reading lesson into an interesting chapter, let-alone a full-length one. What I settled on was to actually try to think of a fun way to teach reading myself, and in some ways it reflects the methods of an actual teacher I've had. Believe it or not, I had a hard time reading at first when I was a kid, until I got a wonderful special-ed teacher with the idea of enticing students with fun educational animal books, and it worked like a charm, so this chapter is partially dedicated to her, though I won't give her name out. Also, all of the educational stuff in this chapter is accurate; even that humorously-named Japanese meal really exists. I really hope you like it as much as I ended up liking writing it. Now my eyes are really sore from hunkering down and getting done, so I need to turn off the computer and take a break. Later!]  
**

Ruby trudged into his house with the intent of taking another bath, as well as giving his clothes a _proper _wash, with detergent, and also of slipping into his soft bed and trying not to think of lying on a hard surface ever again. Yet strangely, he wasn't in a bad mood. In a lot of ways, this day had been terrible. He and Sapphire had probably gotten into more shouting matches than they ever had since those days when they were bitter rivals. The situations she had put him through had caused him a lot of pain; sometimes quite literally. All that should have been a recipe for disaster…and yet it had ended well, with them sitting around pleasantly and calmly and just enjoying their time together. He had actually pulled through the horrors, and she had actually supported and rewarded his efforts. Perhaps that said a lot about them, and how they had a powerful determination to make their relationship work, no matter the cost.

These thoughts were pleasant, but Ruby could have done without Norman bounding up to him grinning giddily—almost like a dog-and asking, "So how was your day?! You have a good time, boy?!"

Ruby had little desire to discuss the gritty details, so he shortened it to, "It wasn't _easy_; that's for sure!"

Ruby thought Norman would demand clarification, but instead he ran with that. "Well, that's good; my boy! You'll be the better for hardship!" He emphasized his pep-talk by slapping Ruby on the shoulder, causing him to yelp in pain.

"Dad; I hurt because of that hardship; ease up!"

Norman seemed disappointed by his son's whining, but said "Alright; I guess you've earned a break. Still, you know that saying that the best things in life are free? Well that's a fat load of shit!" (Ruby could have done without that metaphor.) "Yeah; the best things don't necessarily cost money, but they _do cost_, and do 'em right and you won't necessarily earn money, but you _will profit_."

"I am more impressed by that statement than I care to admit," admitted Ruby, care notwithstanding. "Yeah; in time, I probably will benefit from today's hardships. Right now, though, I will go bathe and sleep from today's hardships!"

Norman laughed, maybe because he appreciated the compliment. "Alright, go take a breather, champ!"

Bathing again rejuvenated Ruby enough to make him realize he wanted to eat before going to bed, and he ate the meal his mother provided him with a gusto that surprised him; taking seconds on a few things and feeling a bit bloated after he was done. "Weird," he thought to himself. "Tonight, I ate like…like _Sapphire!" _He slumped into bed, and then amended his statement. "No; at least I ate better food than she usually does!" Thinking of today's lunch proved that, and satisfied by the distinction, he fell asleep.

* * *

The previous morning, Ruby wondered if roles would switch the next time; with him being the enthusiastic early riser and waking up Sapphire. That was before he had suffered the day's ordeals and returned a battered wreck, and sure enough, he slept a bit longer on Sunday morning. That was, he slept until 8:00. However, at that time Sapphire called him up wondering where he was, and surprising Ruby in being enthusiastic about him teaching her…what would it be, exactly? Ruby supposed reading was the big issue to be conquered. At any rate, he told her to come on over for breakfast again.

Between mouthfuls of pancakes, Sapphire said to Ruby, "So old pal, yesterday I helped ya get stronger; and ya said today ya'll help me get…nerdier?"

Ruby was still a bit groggy, but chuckled at that one a little. "I don't know if I'd say that. Well, do you think I'm a nerd? It's actually more polite than what a lot of people call me, but I don't know if I'd say that."

"Well, what's going on today then?"

Ruby told her what he'd considered while still in bed. "I was thinking I'd teach you to read. Let's go over to Petalburg, and there I've got some reading activities we can do. Reading, in case you aren't aware, is something most people do; not only nerds." Sapphire frowned a bit at that. On some level, seeing her feel humiliated at something made him feel a bit better about himself, but it also gave Ruby a bit of regret. "Sorry, Sapphire. I wasn't trying to make you out to be inferior to most people."

"Well, I'm _not _most people," she replied. "Being different means being better than them in some ways and worse in others, or at least it does for me."

"Actually, it's like that for me, too," said Ruby. "I'm not most people, either. I've been above my age's reading level for a while, but I'm not bragging; I think the reason is because I spent so many recesses and lunches sitting still in a library, instead of out in the playground. I guess you win some, you lose some."

Sapphire smiled again. "Well, how 'bout that?! Maybe being different's what we have in common! But now we can become better than others at more things, so lead on, coach!"

Ruby blushed. "Now _there_ is something I never expected to be called!" Sapphire laughed.

Norman, who predictably had listened to their conversation, said, "I can drive you two to Petalburg. I don't usually go to my gym on Sunday, but if this is important to you two, I can do some things while you do yours."

"Gee, thanks Dad! Are you good with that, Sapphire?"

"You got it, coach!" This time, Ruby laughed at that along with her.

* * *

On the ride to Petalburg, Ruby saw Sapphire looking out the window again, as she had on the first day of school. He asked her, "Are you still saddened by the changes to these routes?"

Sapphire didn't seem to have an answer right away, but she eventually replied, "Well, they're different from what I remember when I first explored 'em. Yet I think you were right; there are lots of other places that are still fun to explore, so the change is alright if it helps us get to do what you want today."

Ruby grinned. "Wow; you sure are enthusiastic about this, all things considered!"

Sapphire grinned back, more mischievously (or maybe her fangs just made it look that way), and warned, "So ya better not screw it up!" Ruby looked a bit worried. He had a feeling Sapphire was joking, but after his failings yesterday, who knew how much Sapphire would take. She at least claimed, "Just kidding, old pal. This gal can take a lot of pain!"

"That 'pain' bit sounds a bit like an insult, but I'll just take it as an invitation not to hold back!"

Norman butted in "Wow; is this what tutoring is like?! If so, maybe _I _would like to take some!"

Ruby had a quick reply: "Could you please take us to the library, Dad? I think we'll start there." He leaned over to whisper in Sapphire's ear, "That ought to scare him off!"

Norman didn't exactly feel scared, but he _did_ say, "Well; maybe another time," and _did _drive them to the library. "Have fun, you two," he said as he bid farewell. "I'll be at the gym." Then, as he pulled away in the car, he shouted out the open window, "Survive!"

"Low blow, Dad," Ruby muttered. "Well, let's go on in; I guess."

* * *

Sapphire looked up and around the library upon entering. The building had one upper floor that didn't extend its full width, and that floor had indoor windows through which she could see a colorful room. "Ya know; it's funny," she said.

Apparently a bit too loud for Ruby, because he motioned for her to speak more quietly, but then he responded, "What's funny?"

She looked around some more, and sniffed, the latter of which a normal person would not do. "I think my papa used to take me here when I was little. I'm almost sure, in fact."

"Interesting."

She continued musing about the past. "I think I remember being really bored while he wandered around. He wanted to take me up there a few times, but I didn't really like books, so I just followed him around and got bored. Eventually, I just stopped going and went out into the wild to help him, instead."

"Does this sadden you," asked Ruby. When she said she was bored when she went here before, he worried she might have been belittling his plan of visiting the library, but as she went on he realized that wasn't it at all.

She shrugged. "It's done, now. I still love my Dad, and he still loves me, and now I finally am gonna read stuff. Or try to, anyway." She smiled at that last bit, which relieved Ruby.

"That upper floor; that's the Children's Section," he explained. "I hope you aren't offended that's where I wanted to take you. For what it's worth, sometimes I'll still go to those sections myself, anyway."

She took it well, as she followed him up the stairs. "I'm not offended, but why do you go there?"

He pointed into the brightly lit and giddily-decorated room. "I guess I just like pretty and colorful things."

Sapphire, flashing back to her mind-numbing math class, brightened at this. "Ya know, I kinda do, too!"

Ruby looked proud as ever as he led her into a specific aisle of the Children's Section. "I _know; _that's why I planned this!" He looked through the shelves for a bit, pulled out a picture book with a photo of some weird rock columns and creatures on the cover, and handed it to Sapphire. "This is that book I was talking about yesterday."

"Wow," she said as she looked at the strange image. "_Like a _–something, something –_World._"

"_Like a Whole Different World,"_ he assisted. "And it really _is_. We saw some of it firsthand, after all!"

Sapphire was getting more and more enthusiastic despite herself. "I'm really glad you aren't running from those times anymore, Ruby." She began browsing curiously for more of such books.

"I'll be honest; so am I," he said. "Being open is more comfortable—oh; that book is so cute!" Ruby had gotten braver, more honest, and maybe even stronger, but he still gushed like a crazy cat lady when he saw something very lovable, and this book Sapphire had about otters was one of those things.

Sapphire didn't mock; she just began looking into the book herself. "Wow; I don't think I've ever seen a lot of these things—and I've seen a lot!"

"Yeah," said Ruby. "Buizel, Floatzel, Oshawott; I'm not even sure I've _heard _of them. They're so cute, though; I want to go wherever they have them!" He pulled out another book of his own; this one about Lapras. "So would you like to start reading one of these books?"

Sapphire felt nervous at that. Reading was a big weakness for her, and even children's books might present an embarrassing challenge. Yet Sapphire had embraced challenge as beneficial for a long time, and so she said. "Yes; the one about otters!"

The Children's Section of the library had just the place for this endeavor, a raised and carpeted step up from the floor that they could both sit at side-by-side; the better to assist in reading—Ruby figured it was _designed _for just that purpose. He felt nervous at that. Sitting down right next to the girl to whom he still felt inferior—along with maybe some other strong feelings-was nerve-wracking, but then Sapphire began trying to read, and needing help, and so Ruby rose to the challenge with pride.

"If you ever walk around rivers or lakes,  
Sapphire began, "look…carpool(?)"

"Carefully," assisted Ruby.

"Thanks." She resumed: "You may see a special animal swing-"

"Swimming."

"I'm sorry!" Sapphire was getting a bit humiliated. "You may see a special animal swimming in a special…"

"Snakelike way."

"-Snakelike way. If you go out in a boat on the ocean, to where there are large beds of sewer-"

"Seaweed, Sapphire." Ruby couldn't help but laugh at this one.

Sapphire frowned and sighed. "I'm really pathetic, eh?" She lay the book down and slumped a bit into her arms. "I can't even read about _nature _right!"

Ruby felt bad. Had he been too blunt with corrections? He thought he was just being punctual, but was punctual rude? If he was slower and more polite, he'd probably take all day-naturally, most people did, and they learned to read gradually. Was there any way to make it more pleasant? Deep-rooted compassion provided the answer; before Ruby was nervous to literally rub elbows with Sapphire, but now he reached over, and patted her on the back. She perked up, and he reassured her. "Nah; you aren't bad. You flow just fine, and that's ideal. But just as you should walk before you can run, sometimes you have to slow down when reading if you're new to it, so you don't stumble over hard words."

Sapphire thought this over. "Ya think I stumble?"

Ruby clarified. "I may be wrong about this, but I actually think you _guess_. When you see a word that's hard because it's big or unfamiliar or both, it's usually not a good idea just to jump to conclusions. Instead, slow down, look it over carefully, and try to pronounce it!"

"Hmm," she said, and then continued. "If you go out in a boat on the ocean, to where there are large beds of…seaweed, look carefully, and a…mon…guh—_among _these beds, you may see a fluffy creature longing, no; loun… What's this word, Ruby?"

"Lounging. It means relaxing."

"Thanks. …lounging on his back in the water. In both cases, you may have seen an otter. These…playful creations no; creatures have occupy a special place in their…en…vy…roman…_environment!" _Ruby smiled an encouraging smile. "There are many different types of otters in the world, all special…special_ized _for their homes!"

Sapphire turned the page eagerly, to a new section that displayed otters alongside other animals, and continued. "Otters belong to a group of mammals called muscle…must…I'm sorry, Ruby, but I've never even _heard_ this word!"

He didn't care. "That's alright! I bet you can still say it!" He stuck his index finger on the first syllable."

Sapphire attempted to pronounce it. "Must…" Ruby nodded and moved his finger along the next one. "…tel…" again, Ruby nodded moved it forward. "…id…" Ruby moved his finger along without looking, and accidentally _over _the last syllable, so Sapphire moved her own hand over to push his out of the way, both of them getting a funny feeling as their hands touched. "…dae…"

"Very good," said Ruby as she looked up at him again, blushing at the feeling of touching hands on the book. He glanced back down at the text nervously, and Sapphire just followed his glance there.

She continued: "…or animals that produce a smelly li…quid from their back…sides."

She and Ruby looked at each other again, this time pulling their hands back, and laughed together at that. A librarian gave them the shush gesture, but grinned, implying she'd heard that, too.

They sat there for a while reading more of the otter book. "That's really interesting about how they help build their own homes by eating the shellfish that eat seaweed," said Ruby. "It's not hard reading for me, but even so I learn some other things!"

"Yeah; that's cool," said Sapphire.

Somehow, they'd become accustomed to sitting side by side with the book between them, and somehow a simple picture book seemed romantic…then a librarian came to ruin the mood by saying, "Excuse me, you two?"

"What do you need," asked Ruby, suddenly feeling a bit shy about rubbing against Sapphire again.

"We're getting ready to read to a class of young children, and we need this area."

"Oh; okay," said Sapphire. She was cooperative, but seemed disappointed.

"That's okay Sapph; we can check them out and read them somewhere else," Ruby reassured her. "Say, are you hungry?"

"Actually yeah I am," she said. "This book about otters eating shellfish put me in the mood for seafood!"

"Well then, I know a good place…"

* * *

Petalburg wasn't a large city, even by the standards of rugged and rural Hoenn, but it still bustled within its narrow confines. People were out walking all along the district that contained the library and the city's main marketplace, and Ruby and Sapphire got a large dose of sensory stimulation; some pleasant, and some not so much. Still, Ruby got an idea from this. "Hey Sapphire; something else about reading…"

"Eh," she asked, stopping to look at him—she didn't really know where they were going, so why not?

"You've probably noticed that a lot of words aren't written out many times; instead they use Kanji symbols."

Sapphire actually got an angry look on her face at this comment. "Yeah; I've noticed that, and it drives me nuts! It's one of the biggest reasons reading scares me!"

Ruby laughed, but it wasn't a mean laugh. "I know it's daunting. Yet I've got an idea to help you learn. Since you've got really good senses, why don't you try to track down something so you can associate symbols with senses?"

Sapphire thought that over. "It sounds…more fun than learning it all from busywork; I guess. Okay coach; what first?!"

Ruby still found that nickname funny. "Let's stick with our plan. That good seafood place is around here, and I'm sure you know what fish smells like, so try to find it and then look at the sign above."

"I'll try," she said. She took a whiff of air in, thought it over, and then turned to the left, and sniffed again, then to the right, and then turned all the way around and walked a bit in the opposite direction, sniffing more.

Ruby, who was looking in the right direction, couldn't help but quip, "I can put you on a leash, if that will help…" Sapphire gave him a swift kick in the buttocks, causing him to teeter over forward. "Ow! Damn, Sapphire; I really have to report you to the Society for the Protection of Ruby's Butt!"

Instead of responding, Sapphire apparently caught a whiff of fish at last, and while Ruby was still bent over, scooped him up and started running toward the smell with him. An old man watching the event—and evidently listening to it, as well—remarked, "Yeah; that's what happened when I tried to put my dog on a leash, too!"

Sapphire toted Ruby through the marketplace after the tantalizing scent of fish, and found what seemed to be the only source of the smell in the near vicinity. She was about to bustle into the door when Ruby leaped out of her arms and dragged her back in a surprise burst of strength, causing her to slip and fall, bruising her knee a bit. Sapphire grinned at Ruby sadistically. "Ya've clearly gotten stronger if ya're able to do that. Yet I betcha ain't so strong to take the beating I'll give ya if ya don't tell me why!"

"Look up there," said Ruby, pointing at the logo and trying to look nonchalant. Sapphire did. "That symbol on the sign is the Kanji for 'fish', see?"

魚

Sapphire pondered it. "I smell it, but I'm not sure I see it…"

"Well, you kind of can," said Ruby. "See on top, there is its dorsal fin, and there, on the bottom, are its four…arm and leg fins!" (Ruby, of course, was the son of a course gym leader, and not a zoologist, so he didn't know the technical term.)

Sapphire sort of saw it now, but it was still weird. "It also has a really squishy face and a plus sign on it…"

Ruby grinned. "Well; maybe he's a _dorky _fish!" They both chuckled at that, and went in.

* * *

Inside the restaurant, Ruby initially got a table for two with a wooden chair on either side. Then, however, Sapphire found she had some trouble reading the menu, so Ruby got up and walked around to help her, and in a moment of uncharacteristic bravery, he asked the waitress, next time she came over, "Excuse me miss; could we switch to a booth table and sit together?" Sapphire gave him a suspicious—though not angry—look. He added, "I need to stay by her to help her read."

"Right this way," said the waitress, with a grin that said she was sure Ruby had other motivations beyond helping Sapphire read. _Did _he? He wasn't even sure himself, but he wasn't going to let on that he might to Sapphire, though in all likelihood she had the same suspicions the waitress did.

Still, reading the menu took priority as they sat down together. "Hehe; look at this appetizer, Sapphire."

She did so, and tried her best to read it. As it happened, the listing was not only easy, but familiar, yet it still boggled her. She looked up at him and asked, "Pokéballs?"

He smiled. "Yeah; I guess that's the name, oddly enough."

"What's the rest of this item say?

Ruby was happy to show off. "It says they're a type of mushroom stuffed with fish and crab."

The same waitress came by with their water, saying "Can I get you and your girlfriend anything to start?"

Ruby's knee-jerk kicked in. "She's no-"

"We would like Pokéballs," Sapphire interrupted.

"Right away," chirped the perky waitress, in a way that implied she'd definitely noticed how that conversation played out.

Ruby, meanwhile, was peeved and opened his mouth to criticize Sapphire. Then, remembering how upset she got from him ignoring her affections before, he abstained. "If Sapphire isn't my girlfriend," thought Ruby, "then what would you call a girl whom you take out to eat? Oh well; at least it's not Cedi!" This done, he finally spoke aloud: "Let's read some more and see what we want for the main course!" Just as they had in the library, he had to lean against Sapphire to see the same text as her, and also like in the library, Ruby surprised himself by not minding.

It wasn't long before the waitress came back with their order of curiously-named Pokéballs, covered in some sort of butternut-colored sauce and looking rather artsy. Ruby broke out the chopsticks provided for them, scooped one up and popped it into his mouth, smiling brightly as he chewed. After swallowing, he said "That was actually _really good! _Try one!" Sapphire reached out to grab one, but Ruby said, "Not with your hand," and grabbed said hand in his own. Sapphire stared right into his eyes, and he stared back for what seemed like a while. Blushing hard, Ruby said, "Use the chopsticks," and let go.

Sapphire fumbled around with the utensils. Ruby knew she'd used them before, but obviously not enough to be comfortable with them. "Could you help me see how it's done," she asked, handing him her chopsticks. Ruby held them the correct way, and nimbly scooped up another of the balls. Sapphire pointed right into her mouth, and Ruby passed it in, because why not? The waitress came back and gushed at the cute scene, though she didn't talk yet, probably because she knew she'd be interrupting. Sapphire opened her mouth to say, "Wow," in the process displaying a gross mess of chewed Pokéball.

"Keep your mouth closed," barked Ruby in a way he usually didn't, except when criticizing things he found gross and/or ugly, and Sapphire fortunately obeyed.

When she finally swallowed, Sapphire said again, "Wow! You sure are right that's really good! The name's weird, but I guess I like Pokéballs!"

"Me too," said Ruby. "Well, so long as they don't have geodudes in them!"

Sapphire chuckled. "I might try eating 'em anyway!"

"Aww; just when I was coming to like those fangs of yours, too," Ruby said on a whim, and somewhat regretted.

Sapphire looked shocked. "Ya…you like my fangs?! I didn't think anyone did!"

Ruby was embarrassed, but honest. "At first I found them scary. Then I just tolerated them. Now, though, I think they make your face…_effective _in a way most people's aren't. I can't forget your face and I would miss those fangs if they were gone."

"Well; that's great," she beamed. "I'm glad I never listened to all of those people who told me to get them taken out!"

"People have told you to remove them," asked Ruby.

"Yes; a lot more than ya know," she said in a sad tone. "It's less now that I helped save Hoenn and a lot of people appreciate me, but often I've wanted ta be nice ta people and help 'em out, and they're just scared of me. Some said it would help me to cut 'em off so I could get along with more people, and what's worse is sometimes I thought that might be true."

Without thinking, Ruby put his arm around her shoulder. "You needn't be troubled by that anymore, because I and everyone else who matters don't care."

"Thanks!" Sapphire was smiling again; fangs and all. She grabbed her chopsticks and actually managed to get in another Pokéball; if clumsily. Ruby ate another himself. "You really are a whiz with chopsticks," said Sapphire.

He chuckled. "Well why not? They're a lot like knitting needles, except less dangerous!" Sapphire chuckled at that, too.

"Are you ready to go," asked the waitress.

Ruby wondered if she had been snooping there for a while; as if his father wasn't enough. He responded anyway. "No; I'm pretty sure the beast must feed more to appease her!"

Sapphire elbowed him in a way that she hoped wasn't too hard, and then said to the waitress, "Yeah; I do." She and Ruby hadn't ended up reading the menu a lot, so she just asked, "Do you have anything a bit like fish, but more filling?"

"Yes; I recommend eel steak for that," said the waitress. "It's thick, and we serve it with onions and mushrooms."

"Ya had me at steak," said Sapphire. "You should eat that too, Ruby. It'll recharge you after yesterday and prepare ya for next weekend!"

"Oh, alright; we'll have that," said Ruby. "Why don't we continue with the otter book, Sapphire?"

"Sounds good, coach!"

* * *

After lunch and more reading, Ruby pointed back up the sign as they exited the restaurant. "Remember this symbol, Sapphire."

"Right; the dorky fish!"

"Good; that one is obvious. Still, let's have a little scavenger hunt. I want you to find a CD store, so why don't you wander around listening for music? Oh, and Sapphire, while I appreciate the help, I'm not so beat up from yesterday that I can't walk myself; thank you very much!"

"Right-on; coach!" Sapphire began wandering the market, listening carefully. There was an occasional tune from passing cars or even businesses, but these were faint and fleeting. Eventually, though, Sapphire perceived a rock song played louder than most other music. "I think I'm getting warmer," she said, and Ruby nodded, which was all Sapphire needed to begin another dash, but as per Ruby's request, she didn't carry him this time." He still didn't want to run, but he knew which store Sapphire was likely headed to, so he needn't worry about losing her.

When Sapphire finally found the source of the music, she looked in through the windows and sure enough, saw a bunch of CDs, along with the DVDs, vintage records, and paraphernalia that music stores typically sold. She was about to go in, but remembered the lesson, and so she stayed outside the door, looking alternately at the symbol on the sign and the street in the direction Ruby was, bobbing to the beat of the music within the store.

Eventually Ruby arrived at the store, too. "Okay, Sapphire; do you see that Kanji up there? What do you think that means?"

音楽

Sapphire looked at it—or rather, them, as there were two-again. "At first I thought they might be for 'CD', but I don't think they look like a CD, and plus, I see CD actually written in the window, with DVD and a few other things, so I am guessing those things just mean 'music'."

"Very good," said Ruby. "Do you see how it could? That symbol on the left kind of resembles a person playing a bongo drum, and the one on the right looks like a speaker mounted on a platform with sound lines coming from it."

"Or maybe a microphone with sounds coming into it," said Sapphire. "Or a person dancing and singing."

"Yeah; that works too," said Ruby. "Any way, would you like to go in?"

"Of course!"

* * *

The two browsed in the music store for a while. Sapphire asked, "Ruby; you know I'm in school band now? What instrument do you think I should play?"

Ruby pondered this. "Well, drums might be the obvious choice, but I'd hate to think I'm pigeon-holing you…"

"Pigeon-holing?"

Ruby clarified. "In other words, taking something obvious about you—in this case, your wild side—and making an assumption about you from it."

"Oh, well I don't mind. I think maybe I'd like pounding out a danceable beat! Actually that's kinda why I chose Band as my elective. Generally, I never was a big art fan, but I always liked music, cos I could move to it."

"Well neat, but it's still your decision," said Ruby. "I hope you aren't offended I chose Drawing instead!"

"Not at all," said Sapphire. "In fact, I'd like to see your stuff!"

Ruby giggled nervously. "Well, I don't have much of interest yet, but next weekend when we go out, remind me to bring a sketch pad, and I'll see what I can do."

"I'll try," she promised.

"Good," when we're done here, there's one more thing I would like you to find."

* * *

After buying a CD each, Ruby and Sapphire exited the store. "Now," said Ruby. "I think you may have noticed this morning at the library, that books actually have a scent. It's something most people don't usually think of, but even I can smell it, so why not sniff around to try to find a bookstore, and look at the sign by it?"

"I'm kinda new to books," Sapphire admitted, "but I'll try!" She sniffed around the place for a while, but couldn't find anything quite yet. "Hey Ruby, let me refresh my memory on those books we checked out!" After he did let her sniff them—which still felt very weird—Sapphire resumed her search for a similar scent emanating from elsewhere. Eventually, she caught what smelled like it, and moved towards it. This time, Ruby called up his father to pick them up at the store.

When the two arrived at the marketplace bookstore, Sapphire looked at the logo and said, "Hey Ruby; is that the symbol for 'book'?"

本

"Yeah," he said. "See how kind of looks like a book with its pages being flipped past? (There's also what almost looks like a sword stabbing through it, but whatever.)"

"Yeah; I see that," said Sapphire. "What's weird is, I think I've seen that symbol before, and I don't know why, cos I'm not much of a reader."

"That is weird," said Ruby. "Or wait; maybe it's not! Did the symbol you saw look like this, but not have the little horizontal line at the bottom?"

Sapphire pondered that. "Ya know; I think maybe it didn't!"

"Well then, that probably explains it! Because _that _would be symbol for 'tree'!"

木

"Well neato," said Sapphire. "I've done more reading than I thought, cos I sure seen plenty trees and signs for trees!"

"Cool; let's go in!"

* * *

By the time Norman drove over to pick them up, the odd friends and current study-buddies were having a fun time. Sapphire brought up a new book about marine biology; it looked too advanced for her now, but maybe someday she could read it. "Hey Ruby, looka this!" She flipped open the book to the back cover, which had the "About the Author" section, and pointed to the portrait. "Ain't this our friend, Mr. Briney?"

Ruby looked closer to see the name and make sure, but he practically didn't have to. "Hey; it really is! Glad to see that guy writing books, given he knew Relo could take us deep-diving and thus helped save all of Hoenn! We should get that and support him!" At that point Norman called to announce he was outside, so they bought the book and hurried out.

On the ride home, they talked to Norman a bit about their outing, but mostly to one another. "So Sapphire," said Ruby. "It seems like you had a good time today!"

"Oh yeah; coach! I was willing to grin and bear whatever ya gave me, but it turns out ya made it real fun!"

"Well, good," he said. "I really wondered about this, because back when we were going to school on Monday, you were really sad. "Yet today, you were really enthusiastic about learning."

She giggled. "Ya know; back this morning, I was just tryin' to be pleasant for ya, but I really did end up enjoying it."

"Well, that makes me feel great," he said. Now, back at Littleroot Town, they said their goodbyes. "I think you did pretty well at learning; all things considered!"

"Ya did good teaching, too coach!" Sapphire was still enthusiastic, and the "coach" thing still made Ruby giggle.

"Well," he said, sounding sadder than he was the rest of the day. "It's been fun, but come tomorrow, the coach thing will be over, and I'll be back to being a 'loser'. At least in some ways."

"Aww, don't be sad," Sapphire reassured him. "Even I'm a loser in some ways! Pro'ly everyone is!"

"Thanks Sapphire," he said, and they parted with their usual hug; except it seemed longer this time.

* * *

Professor Birch greeted his daughter at the door, as usual. "So Sapphire, how'd it go? Was it another fun day?"

She was still cheerful. "I don't know if it was as fun for me as yesterday, but ya know; it was a lot more fun than I thought it would be!"

"I hope Ruby didn't make you feel bad about reading."

Sapphire was quick to shoot that down. "Oh; no! Well, maybe I felt a little bad, but he always cheered me up. Dad; I think maybe Ruby is falling for me."

"Really," he asked. "What makes you think that?"

Sapphire explained. "He's more affectionate. More considerate about makin' me feel happy and comfortable, and real patient about the slow pace of my learning. He even had neat ways of teaching me using stuff I already knew and liked!"

"That sounds promising," said the Professor. "But personally, I think Ruby fell for you a while ago."

Sapphire chucked. "Hehe; yeah maybe. He kinda told me he did back around Mirage Island. Of cos, he was kinda jerky pretending ta forget that for a year, but now that I told him I hated that—great idea; by the way—he's been a lot nicer."

"Well that's great," said her father. "Looks like you're on the route to enticing him _and _learning to read; I'm pleased!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Ruby and Norman went back into their own house, and Norman wasted no time spilling his commentary on the events. "You sure are sweet with her. I approve of that."

Ruby nervously admitted, "I think…I think I may actually be falling for her."

"Oh; bullshit! You fell for her a long time ago," laughed Norman. "Back when I first met your mom-"

"Shut up; Dad."

"Okay."


	7. Chapter 6

The second week of school wasn't as emotionally challenging for either Ruby or Sapphire as the first, but it still saw some interesting developments. On the bus trip over, Sapphire again looked out the window at Routes 101 and 102, but the thought it gave her was different: "Hey Ruby, I remembered, weren't we going to do some sciencey thing on Mount Chimney?"

It came back to him, too. "Hey yeah; I guess we must have been too busy yelling at each other to remember that this Saturday."

"We will have to go back," said Sapphire, in a voice that suggested she didn't actually see it as a chore.

"Hmm, maybe so, if we focus on that," said Ruby, in a voice that suggested he _did _see it as a chore. Still, he added, "Well, if I did it before, I maybe can do it again."

"Even better," giggled Sapphire. "After all, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!"

Ruby was droll. "That Salamence didn't quite kill me, and I just got weak after that."

Sapphire quipped back. "Nah; it was me that made ya get weak after that. So now I'll keep almost killing ya ta pay you back!"

"Let's survive this week first," Ruby said. Still, that wouldn't be the last time the Geology project came up.

* * *

In Language class, Ruby began discussing the assigned reading with Cedi and her clique. He was happy to see that she kept her promise to behave and not talk about Sapphire, and she was fairly competent intellectually. However, Cedi had a few plans for the next period, in Physical Education.

This week, the activities of the sexes were switched from last week, meaning Ruby found himself on the soccer field. He thought he did better than he expected to—perhaps the trek up Mount Chimney Sapphire put him through really had helped-though he sure wouldn't become an MVP like Sapphire had last week, and he probably wasn't giving this his all, anyway. Some things were worth pushing for Ruby; sports generally weren't among them. Still, it was more diverting than fielding had been last week, and he didn't fall and injure himself as he had when he was made to bat and run.

Things were worse for Sapphire, who now had to play baseball. (Or softball, as the other girls called it, for no reason Sapphire could see, but Ivy alleged it was an attempt to make girls sound weaker.) That wasn't the only way this week was an inversion of last, the other issue was that this time, Cedi was on the same team—as captain. How she got there wasn't clear, but she had a special use for this exalted position in a dusty game that probably wouldn't normally appeal to her: She stuck Sapphire far in the outfield. "Why waste good athleticism," Sapphire wondered…for a few seconds, before figuring it out. The probable reason was that Cedi wanted to degrade her new nemesis, and was willing to give up the game for this very reason. Ivy, who was on the opposing team, may have hesitated to try hard against Sapphire, but with Sapphire relegated to a virtual non-entity in this game, she came through and indeed, Sapphire's "team" lost the game badly, while Sapphire herself got no exercise and might have become even more bored than in her math class—and a bit angry on top of it!

Even so, she wasn't feeling especially vengeful, which is why, as she strode into the shower room, she was disturbed to hear an aggressive conversation between Ivy and Cedi. "I know what you were trying to do today, you spiteful little whore," accused Ivy.

"I haven't any idea what you're talking about." Cedi had quite a spine.

Ivy didn't appreciate that bravery, and grabbed Cedi's collar and pushed her against the wall. "You do. You stuck Sapphire in the outfield out of spite, and you aren't going to get away with that sort of crap. You'll suffer for-"

"What's the problem?" That was Sapphire, who had arrived at the scene—actually, come running because she was worried. "I heard my name."

Ivy let Cedi loose, but kept at her. "This whore put you in that humiliating situation today, and should pay for it."

Sapphire couldn't exactly deny that, but couldn't condone what Ivy thought of doing, either, so she said, "I'll tell the staff. C'mon, let's hit the showers!"

Ivy acquiesced, but continued to talk of this once they got there. "You're letting the Man take care of this?"

"I'm gonna try, at least," said Sapphire. "I think if things can change here, then it will help everyone."

"Whatever," said Ivy. "Let me know how that goes."

* * *

Geology class dawned, and Ruby and Sapphire got their first group activity, in the form of identifying key characteristics of various types of rocks, which they would be quizzed on later in the semester. There was also a textbook chapter on the formation of terrain via such means as time, erosion, and sediment build-up, which fortunately was read by students who raised their hands and volunteered. Rather than stew in a feeling of inferiority, Sapphire decided to make the best of it and look at the text, attempting to put the pronunciations she head with the text she saw. She thought she made some progress, but obviously she still had a long way to go.

At any rate, the class didn't finish the chapter that day—they were long enough to last the whole week—and after a bit of group reading, the teacher spoke more about the Geology projects students were assigned. Twice during the semester, they would present a report on a specific geological subject related to one of the chapters they had read up to that point. With that, he dismissed the class with a little bit of homework.

As Ruby and Sapphire walked out, Sapphire said, "Well, we've read some of a chapter. Wanna start lookin' for a project at Mount Chimney this weekend?"

Once again, Ruby was a bit reluctant. "Would we really find something relevant to this week's chapter by hiking Mount Chimney?"

She shrugged. "Couldn't hurt to look!"

"Unless I fall on my face or back again," said Ruby.

"Well yeah; I guess there's that," she admitted.

"Of course," continued Ruby, "I also fell on my face playing baseball, and there, unlike with your Mount Chimney excursion, I don't think I got much benefit, since the rest of the time I was just in the field doing nothing."

"Hey; funny ya should mention that," said Sapphire, who just remembered today's events. "Funny like a crutch; I mean. I had to play baseball today, and I had to stand around outfield, too; real lame."

"A star athlete like you?" Ruby hadn't anticipated Sapphire being in the same athletic quagmire as himself.

"No; a gal who Captain Cedi really hates like me. She pro'ly stuck me there just to spite me!"

Now Ruby understood; that _did _sound just like Cedi. "Ugh; that slippery sandshrew is a nuisance indeed. I promise to tell her not to do that when I see her in Math Class; she listens to me…though not too well."

"Also," suggested Sapphire, "I really think ya should talk to the gym coaches; tell them their policies stink."

"I don't know…"

"I'll back ya! I have a feeling _they _will listen to _me!_"

* * *

Come Tuesday morning, Sapphire did not hesitate to remind Ruby of his mission to reprimand Cedi. He saw her on the bus and gave her a look. (Hopefully a mean one, but Ruby was rather out of practice at doing so.) Sapphire could have done a lot better, but as usual she was staring out the window instead.

Still, throughout math classes Ruby kept looking back at Cedi, right in the face. She knew something was up, so outside, she ended up starting the conversation first. "You were staring at me a lot. Secret admirer much?"

Ruby was shocked at this theory. Cedi, he thought, was either stupid or a jerk deliberately missing the point, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to tell her exactly that. "No," he simply said, "I was glaring at you because I do not approve of your treatment of Sapphire in PE yesterday."

"Oh? What did she tell you?" Cedi was trying to be innocent.

Ruby didn't buy it. "You stuck her in the outfield so she couldn't do anything."

Cedi shrugged. "Plenty players have to go in the outfield just in case."

"Stop it," insisted Ruby, "You put Sapphire there specifically."

"Well can you blame me," asked Cedi, in the process admitting she'd been in denial just seconds ago, but not dwelling on that. "She's too good. If she was allowed in a key position she'd just beat the other players!"

"So this has nothing to do with her beating you in particular?"

"Oh no," said Cedi, not convincing Ruby at all. "I just want to be fair."

"I'll look into that myself," said Ruby, and he walked away. Silently, he cursed himself for not being more firm with Cedi, but he meant what he said. "Sapphire is right," he thought, "we really do need to take this up with the faculty."

* * *

Meanwhile, Sapphire was trying hard to deal with her Language class. She now knew better than to get on the teacher's bad side, so even though, as of the third session of this class, she still had a great deal of trouble reading, she said nothing. Then, the class began to read their assigned novel aloud, and this was actually something of a relief. Once again, Sapphire could to some degree follow along, trying to put sounds with the text. Unfortunately, some of this was also assigned as homework, for which she didn't know what she was going to do.

* * *

At the same point, Ruby was having quite a bit more fun—if not without his own bit of embarrassment—in Drawing class. Today was the beginning of figure-drawing, via manikins. Students got to take turns borrowing them, posing them, and copying the shapes—no; forms, as art teachers insisted upon calling natural things—and if they liked, add some definition to turn the drawing into something that resembled a human more than a featureless, stringless marionette. Ruby, acting subconsciously, had posed it into an image he remembered from this Saturday, and drawn on a female bathing suit, before he realized he was starting to draw Sapphire in the hot spring, beckoning him to join her.

He paused at the realization, and looked around nervously. No students seemed to be looking, but the teacher's voice announced that she was. "That is quite good," said the teacher. Ruby didn't quite yelp in surprise, but he _did _cover the drawing with his arms. "No; let me see again." Ruby did, because why keep from the teacher what she was supposed to see, when she wouldn't even know why it embarrassed him? "I applaud your decision to start by drawing a barely-clothed person," she continued. "That's a good way for beginners to keep it simple, and I don't tell people to do it because I like to test whether they can figure it out themselves." At that revelation, Ruby noticed another boy across the room who had been listening (and probably drawing a more heavily-clothed figure) glare at the teacher, but if she noticed, too, she didn't let on. "It looks like you're done copying from the manikin, so I would like you to let someone else use it, and work on another assignment now. Try to finish this one as homework!"

Ruby was relieved to put this embarrassing drawing on hold for the moment. Now that he thought of it, Sapphire was about the only girl he had ever seen so lightly-clothed. When he saw her that way on Saturday, he thought he'd barely taken notice. Maybe, though, he was just trying not to take notice, because some part of his mind was clearly fixated on that image. At any rate, the new task was to draw Pokémon from photos, so he spent some time drawing a familiar one, Mudkip, and then, for reasons equally unsure to him, doodled some square glasses and a thick black mustache on it.

* * *

Sapphire, meanwhile, resumed the task of learning to read music in band class, which at this point was focused on timing. "So who can tell me," asked the teacher, "how many beats there are in a 'whole note'?"

Another student raised his hand eagerly, and the teacher called on him to answer: "One!"

The teacher corrected: "That sounds reasonable, but it is actually four. In most songs, there are four beats per measure, and hence a whole note lasts, the whole measure. So then, who can tell me how many beats in a half note?"

Something in Sapphire clicked, and she answered. "Two?"

"Very good, Ms. Birch," said the teacher.

Yes; music was a bit like math, but more fun, and Sapphire grasped the beat part. Perhaps people who thought on their feet were apt to do so. Throughout much of her life, Sapphire hadn't had much appreciation for the arts. They were just a part of human culture that never seemed important with regard to fighting for what was right when that culture's safeguards against natural chaos failed. However, she always had liked music, or at least, upbeat, sensuous music. It felt like a sort of motivator in getting one to move and rise to challenges. Actual notes, however, felt a bit too much like text to her; perhaps easier, but not worth learning when she needed to prioritize reading text. As such, she'd gone with her and Ruby's thought that she should take up drums, which used less notes, although she didn't yet have any drums to bang. On the way out of class, she thought, "Maybe if we used music to teach Math, a lot of people would like Math better." She walked toward the bus stop, and waited for Ruby. "And maybe, if I did a big drum solo on my desk in Math class, I would get in big trouble!" She chuckled at the thought, regardless.

* * *

On the bus ride home that afternoon, Sapphire said she wanted to talk to Ruby about a variety of things that were a bit private, and that they should wait until they got to their secret hideout. Ruby agreed, and so they squared it away with their parents and went back to the cave.

Sitting at the table as they had a week ago brought Ruby back to the nasty mood of that occasion, but Sapphire didn't seem upset; simply concerned about…what, exactly? She began the conversation: "So Ruby, I been thinking, what if we bumped up our helping each other out stuff?"

"What exactly do you mean by that," asked Ruby. Sapphire made it clearer:  
"Well first, I need some more help with reading; like a lot more, so I'd like help each night if possible. But also, there's PE tomorrow, so we should go talk to the teachers then, together. From there, I think we can arrange me training you more often; like during the week."

Ruby was a bit surprised by all of these proposals. Sapphire was very good at judging immediate situations and making split-second decisions, but he often seemed to be the better planner, so why she was suddenly doing more planning, he wasn't sure. He said, "I unfortunately cannot promise I'll always have time to help with your homework, but I can tonight and will try whenever possible. But what's this about 'training during the week?'"

"Dunno yet, exactly," admitted Sapphire. "The important thing, though, is you and me—together or not—do stuff as opposed ta not doin' stuff. I can think of activities that are better for buildin' strength and agility and all than what we get there, and so we take it up with them tomorrow."

Ruby remained skeptical of such a move's success, but he resolved at this point that he shouldn't counter Sapphire on it; besides, she had a point, and doing this probably couldn't hurt even if it probably wouldn't help. So he said, "Okay, I'll do that with you. What's with all of this ambitious planning, by the way?"

Sapphire shrugged. "Call me naïve, but somehow I think school education doesn't work in a lot of ways. I've been thinkin' about a buncha stuff, math too, and how it could be taught better'n what we get, in a way that makes it more fun ta people. Right now a lot of it is just stupid."

Ruby chuckled. "That is no secret. Sometimes I think Math textbooks are written by people who never studied anything else! What's even sadder is they think they know what they're talking about, like this ridiculous 'space detective video game' question I came across that obviously was made by somebody who never played video games. Also, who ever heard of a 'space detective' _anything_?"

Sapphire chuckled back. "Well, if they make us study Math along with a buncha other stuff, why don't we write Math books?"

Ruby seemed a bit shocked at the suggestion. "I don't like Math that much!"

"Oh sorry; I don't mean 'we' as in you and me, but some students who know a lot more should write Math books to be more fun."

"Maybe," said Ruby. "Don't you need help with your reading?"

"Yeah; sorry," said Sapphire. "It's just at the beginning of school days, I was thinkin' for a while that things had changed so much that someone like me, who wanted so much ta help people with their problems, had no place anymore. Now I see that ain't true; people are always gonna have some sorta problems and always need help. I may not be the right person to help all the time, maybe not you either, but I'd always like ta try!"

"You know," said Ruby, "I actually like that idea." The two spent a few more hours in the cave, with Ruby sitting with Sapphire in order to help her read her assigned novel; similar to how they had with the otter book. This assigned novel wasn't nearly as entertaining, but even so, something of that warm, fuzzy feeling came back.

* * *

The next day, after an awkward two hours of Ruby having to read with Cedi and "friends," and Sapphire trudging through math work while thinking of drumming, the two began Physical Education class with the usual clothes change, and then the warm-up exercises, but then they met up and went to talk to the head coach. "Excuse me, coach," said Sapphire in a surprisingly happy tone for someone who aimed to complain, which reminded Ruby of how she kept calling him that on Sunday, "me and my pal Ruby wanna talk ta you about somethin' important."

Ruby wondered why she was sounding so amiable until the coach responded with equal joviality. "Hey there; 'Super Girl'! Looks like there's a super _boy _in your life! So wazzup?"

Ruby was dumbfounded…then not so much. Of _course _the Physical Education head coach would be impressed with Sapphire, as well as a large ham on par with her and his father. What he was not expecting, though (in addition to himself being called "Super Boy", of course), was Sapphire's response: "I think you should tell him, Ruby!"

Why was she forfeiting her own clout? Ruby had no choice but to say something, and so he chose to say what she recommended: "Pardon me, sir,"—Ruby wasn't used to calling people "coach"—"but I don't think the activities you assign us are necessarily optimal for improving fitness."

"Huh," asked the head coach, prompting Ruby to wonder if he shouldn't have used such big words, before the coach continued, "Like how da you mean?"

Ruby's eloquence vanished out of apprehension: "Well for starters, well, baseball is, uh…"

"—stupid." Sapphire had finished his statement for him, bold as always.

"Awww; I like it," said the head coach. Ruby was relieved that he didn't get angry, but clearly he wasn't convinced.

So Ruby stepped back in with more articulation, as was required to clarify. "I mean, it's not an exertion—um, an exercise—or activity for a lot of people. A lot of them just stand in the field doing nothing of value."

The Head Coach still debated. "Well of course batting and running's more fun, but a good captain'll give all players the chance to do that at times."

"But my captain wasn't good; she was Cedi," said Sapphire. "She stuck me, probably the MVP, in the outfield just cos she hates me!"

Ruby now had close to the same spirit for debate, as he added, "My captain wasn't good, either; he was…well; I don't know his name, but he did the same thing to me, for somewhat different reasons, and-"

The Head Coach interrupted: "Well, I will have to talk to Ms. Cedi about that garbage! Lemme tell you a secret; she has a record of sneaky stuff like that! But what about you and your captain, what's your name again, Rupaul?"

Ruby tried not to wince as he answered that, as he'd been called that before, as an insult by people who knew his real name. "My name is Ruby. As you can probably see, I am not as strong as my friend here, to put it lightly. So I was stuck in the outfield just because I wasn't useful for anything important, and that was just the start of the problem. The next time, the captain tried to get rid of me, telling me I was on the other team that day, and then the other team's captain said the same thing, and so I called the first captain out on it, so he just stuck me in the outfield again."

"Oh my, I am sorry," said the coach, and even sounded like he meant it.

Ruby continued: "So as you see, I'm in a conundrum. I'm not very strong, so I get stuck in a position where I don't do anything, so I can't get stronger."

"Meanwhile," said Sapphire, "I'm _too _strong for coach Cedi's tastes, so I get stuck there and get all cagey and stuff!"

"Really," Ruby added, "I'm sure baseball is an interesting and strategic game when played by a team that learns to coordinate tactics, and I'm not saying the school shouldn't have an official team to do that. Back in Johto, there is a gym leader who is very athletic from playing softball, so it obviously works under the right circumstances. But we're not such a team. We're students who get put in at random with people we don't know and/or don't like. It really isn't good exercise for most people."

"I see…" said the coach, clearly thinking of where to go from here. "Well; you guys are playing soccer this week. You finding that any better?

"Yes; thank you," answered Ruby, "in that I actually am _doing _something constantly." (Ruby realized he was making a lot of such statements lately. It seemed Sapphire had awakened a critical side of him, or _something _had.) "I'm not sure it's quite ideal, though. Chasing a ball doesn't seem like a definitive way or necessary to get a good, even workout. I don't think it's quite what I need to get stronger, and I think other students are in the same boat."

Sapphire chimed in, "Hey by the way, coach: I took Ruby hikin' and mountain climbin' this weekend, and he said it really worked helped! Ya should try to do stuff like that here!"

While Ruby took some embarrassment at that revelation, the coach chuckled. "I don't know if I can do that, Super Girl. I ain't got a mountain in our field, and plus the liability stuff from angry parents would be so bad, it's just-"

"So have them sign a waiver," said Ruby, who was shocked to find himself butting in and getting behind Sapphire's brash proposal. "Parents sign waivers all the time. Or _don't _sign them, but teachers give them out all the time, as with when classes take field trips."

"Hey yeah," said Sapphire, with a grin on her fanged face, "We could all take a field trip ta Mount Chimney and stuff!"

"I really do wonder if that's doable," pondered the coach, "but I'd like to do it."

"In the meantime, though," asked Ruby, "What about our problems?"

The head coach put his hand on his chin, and thought some more. "You two are excused from playing baseball if you wish. I will talk to Cedi and whoever you—uh, Ruby's captain was, and let them know their attitude ain't acceptable. Past that, I can't promise anything, but I'll keep you two in mind."

* * *

As Ruby and Sapphire left to go back to the playing field, Sapphire wasted no time in celebrating her victory, hollow though it may have been thus far: "See; I told ya things would go well, 'Super Boy'!"

Ruby giggled and blushed at that, as much as he had at "Coach," and responded, "We don't know if anything got accomplished. We don't know if policies will change or not."

Sapphire was not to be dissuaded. "We let 'im know there's a problem, and that's something done already. Like back when that Salamence attacked, and ya fought 'im, I was too weak ta help, but as of then, I _knew _I was too weak, and I had ta quit bein' too weak, and-"

"And knowing is half the battle. G.I. Joe. I get it." Ruby was snarking, but he really did acknowledge Sapphire's point and made this clear. "I really have to admit, I was worried that pointing out a flaw in the system would get me in trouble with it, but the head coach took it very well."

Sapphire turned to look at him. "Ya know, Ruby, I gotta be straight with you; even I had that worry, a bit. After all, I got in trouble doin' that in Language class, so who knows."

Ruby was still impressed. "Well, that head coach was really nice about it. Something was making me worry about brash, athletic people always being mean-natured, until that happened. Still, having known you, I probably should have already abandoned that prejudice many times over."

"Awww; that is so sweet," said Sapphire, and she emphasized this point by lifting Ruby right off the ground and squeezing him a bit too hard for comfort, until the empathy Ruby just mentioned made her take notice of his discomfort and embarrassment, and put him down.

"Of course," Ruby retracted, "With love like this, who needs hate?"

Sapphire kept her spirits up. "Hey; that gives me an idea! Since we're excused from baseball today, let's do this instead!" With that, before Ruby had even regained his composure, she leaped onto his back, wrapping her arms and legs around his torso (not as hard, fortunately, but with added weight instead), and shouted. "Let's go; Super Boy! Or else I'll sink these fangs inta yar neck and then Cedi will never shut up with her stupid 'vampire' comments! Giddy up!" Ruby might have mentioned that _he _was never under any obligation to play baseball, so maybe was still obliged to play soccer, but he figured he'd better endeavor to obey out of fear, or respect, or admiration, or whatever. All the while, he stayed uneasy at the realization that he had used the term, "love."

**NOTE: I apologize for taking a month to get out a short, and possibly bad, chapter. I know I'm lagging, and I get Writer's Block when it comes to school chapters, or at least I did this time. Fortunately, next time, actual Pokémon battles! Stay tuned!  
**


	8. Chapter 7

The rest of the week wasn't too eventful, besides Sapphire continuing to propose returning to Mount Chimney to work on a Geology project, and continuing to torment Ruby (but undeniably get him exercise) by using him as her beast-of-burden. With the advent of the weekend, though, the scheduled return to Mount Chimney still seemed scary to him.

At breakfast on Saturday morning, he brought that up to Sapphire: "I must say, last time was—a bit traumatic."

Sapphire grinned a fangy grin. "Well, the stuff that works usually is! Besides, ya did it before, and so ya can do it again! Come on; let's make sure we've got all the good stuff packed!"

As with before, Ruby hadn't packed ahead of time, and that perturbed Sapphire a bit, but he found he was able to pick the right things out of his closet without her telling what they were, which impressed her—or at least relieved her. Speaking of relieving, Ruby also went into the bathroom to grab a roll of toilet paper to carry along. Even so, the ordeal wouldn't be pleasant. "If only there was some sort of portable toilet I could get and carry around. It probably wouldn't be very practical, though…"

"Then again," said Sapphire, "hefting around a big toilet up mountains _would _getcha a great workout!"

"And make me a huge laughing stock, and destroy my reputation as Mr. Classy. We can't have that now; can we?"

"Nope; ya got a point, Mr. Prissy!"

* * *

The two finished breakfast, boarded Pilo the Tropius, and took off. Ruby suddenly giggled profusely. "Whatcha thinkin," asked Sapphire.

Ruby explained. "I just keep getting visions of some esteemed fitness guru, doing one of those TV commercials they do, where they tell people the secret to great fitness lies in some miracle machine—except that miracle machine is a toilet!"

"Hehehe! That would be awesome! Seeing that _commercial_; I mean!" Now as always, Sapphire tended to laugh at toilet humor. Ruby was a bit astonished at how much being around her had given him a penchant for it, in spite of his classy/prissy self. Well; at least she was the one who usually inspired those potty jokes, so it might be—"Hey Ruby." She'd held out her hand to touch his; in shades of the trips last weekend.

"Oh right; Sapphire," he said, and grasped it.

* * *

When Pilo landed in Lavaridge Town, Ruby and Sapphire noticed a group of people gathered angrily around the hot springs. "Easy folks," urged a ranger. "I know the water level is lower than usual today, but it's only a minor problem. You'll all get a turn to bathe!"

On the way down, Sapphire had noticed the lower water levels, and people currently in the springs sprawled out in the water; determined to soak up as much as possible. She called out to the ranger who was monitoring the situation, "Any idea what the problem is?"

The ranger shrugged. "I can speculate, but the nature of aquifers is chaotic and enigmatic, like so many natural things are." (Ruby tapped Sapphire teasingly in the ribs about that; she probably would have reacted if not in public.) "At any rate, I'm not too worried. This has happened a few times before, but the water always comes back."

"Of cos, but ya know; Ruby, I think maybe we got our science thing down today!"

"It…really could be; couldn't it," admitted Ruby, and he took out his Poke Gear and used the camera utility to snap a picture of the shallow hot spring.

"You like what you see, homo," asked a pudgy man currently lounging in the spring, apparently under the impression Ruby was deliberately photographing him.

Ruby began saying, "Oh my; I'm-" before Sapphire pushed him aside and lunged at the man, bearing her fangs.

"Don't ya call 'im a homo! That boy saved my ass several times and together we saved Hoenn, so ya stay off our bad sides!"

Ruby grabbed her shoulder. "Easy, Sapphire. Look; I'm sorry sir. I was only trying to take a picture of the spring for research purposes, and if you like, I will delete that picture, and then you can get out and I'll take another when it's empty."

The man obviously didn't relish the thought of vacating the lovely water, so he grudgingly told Ruby not to bother. The two walked away, while the ranger got on his phone to call for backup; hopefully for crowd control rather than to arrest Sapphire.

After putting some distance between themselves and the crowd, Sapphire scolded, "Last time we were here, ya didn't like me talkin' about you as a hapless sissy; now ya don't like me talking about ya bein' a great hero? I really can't win with ya; can I?"

Ruby smiled subtly, said softly, "Who said I didn't like that," and he hugged her. "I may not be so outspoken myself, but I'm honored to have someone vouch for me like that." Sapphire started to hug back. "Even better," Ruby continued, "with you doing it, _you'll _be the one suffering for your big mouth!" Sapphire dug her thumbnails into his back, causing him to yelp painfully and let her go. "So, um; about that science project…" he digressed.

"We'll see alright," said Sapphire, "but we still are goin' hikin', so enough delays!" With that, they started off, while elsewhere in Hoenn, a familiar young women rode a Lanturn across the sea in their direction.

* * *

The two hiking/research partners trudged up Jagged Pass in a fairly similar manner to the way they did last week. Sapphire led the way to all of the ideal straight cliffs to grab and climb, but then she stood back and let Ruby go first, staying behind to catch him if he fell. Ruby felt his dignity slip a bit at each cliff, but his hands didn't slip, or not as much as before. "I'm amazed to say it, but this is actually getting easier," he commended.

"Yep;" said Sapphire. "Doin' it all day one day'll do that for ya! Also good that ya spent a lot of this week liftin' me; now liftin' yourself is simpler!"

"Funny," said Ruby. "I think you just admitted you weigh a lot; not something most girls do!"

Sapphire grinned. "I weigh more'n you and more'n most people my size, but it's muscle so who cares?!"

"Most girls care," said Ruby. "They wouldn't care if the weight was in _bionic implants_; for many girls 'overweight' automatically means 'out of shape.'"

"Oh; are you one of them," Sapphire jabbed.

Ruby was a bit boggled at her meaning, but not for long. "Oh hardy har har; Sapphire. No; I just know what the average girl—like say, Cedi-thinks constitutes beauty."

Sapphire scowled. "Oh yeah? Well; this for Cedi!" She spat on the ground. "But seriously, what about you; whada _you_ think a beautiful girl looks like?" She stopped walking, restrained him from walking more, too, and looked him in the face awaiting the answer.

Ruby blushed, and seemed to be searching for a nice, nonchalant way to answer that. Then he smiled again, and pointed at himself. "Like _this!_"

"Touche," said Sapphire with a shrug. "Okay; let's tackle more cliffs!"

Despite such banter—which was relatively good-natured, anyway—today was going a lot better than last week's similar excursion had. The two didn't get into any arguments, Sapphire didn't run off in a huff, and as such, they got to eat lunch together, and by this point, weren't even that far from the spring where they'd had a dip last time. Ruby complained about the dry, processed junk, but he ate it anyway, and he otherwise chatted amiably enough. "So Sapphire; I think the issue with the receding spring pool in Lavaridge Town is interesting, but if we can't find out the cause of that, maybe these straight cliffs would be a good subject for our Geology report?"

Sapphire pondered that. "You mean, like how ta climb them?"

Ruby chuckled. "I'm afraid that's outside the scope of the class. I was thinking more of the factors that cause them."

"Oh? What are those?"

Ruby eyed the cliff nearby. "I'm not sure. Maybe something to do with earthquakes, caused by the same things that cause the volcanism, but we'll need to do more. Maybe it's not a good project; after all."

"Well," said Sapphire, "Like all natural stuff, I say it's worth exploring!" In spite of himself, Ruby smiled at that. Something about Sapphire's moods was contagious.

* * *

The two were finished with lunch, so they resumed hiking towards the next cliff, and then, from somewhere up the mountain, came the sound of a loud rumble, and then, the screams of several people! On instinct, Sapphire dropped onto her hands, gritted her teeth, puffed out like a cat (sans the fur), and got a warrior-like expression on. "Trouble! Gotta go now!"

With that primitive speech out of the way, she charged forward towards the cliff, grabbed it and swung up it quickly, even for her, and kept going. Yet even with her impressive speed, Ruby objected, "Wait; Sapphire! Use Pilo; he'll take us up more quickly!"

She abruptly halted and said, "Oh; right. Come out, Pilo," in a tone that implied, "Fine; party pooper," but still, she could appreciate a solid plan.

The two of them rode the flying banana tree dinosaur Pokémon up the mountain until they beheld what had to have been the spot of the ominous event. A girl was standing and sobbing at the mouth of a large—and it appeared, _new_—chasm. "What's wrong; Miss," asked Ruby; as always the polite-to-girls type.

The distressed girl could hardly process words, but managed to say, "Muh—muh—my si-sister and her boyfriend fell down there! We—we—we were hiking and it just opened!"

Sapphire bore her fangs and growled, "No worries sis; I'll save 'em," and leapt into the hole without a hint of a second thought.

"Wait; Sapphire," called Ruby, and he apprehensively gripped the cliff at the edge of the hole, and prepared to imitate Sapphire's jump down. Then, his more cautious, plan-oriented mind said "screw that" and he brought out Ruru the Kirlia to lower him down instead.

At the bottom of the chasm was a floor which sloped downward even further, into a tunnel past where the ground had caved in, and Sapphire was perhaps ten meters into that tunnel with the two people. "Over here, slowpoke," she called to Ruby. He wouldn't jump into a deep hole, but he certainly ran over to her quickly in this dire situation. "They're alive, but KO'd hard," said Sapphire, who understood this sort of blunt trauma very well.

"I see that," Ruby agreed. "Those red spots on their head and limbs suggest internal bleeding; they need help." Ruby was a pretty good field medic himself, as Sapphire could personally testify.

Sapphire started lifting the two of them up, but then said to Ruby, "Actually; you carry the girl."

"But _you _could do that," he protested.

"And now _you _can too; recruit, so hop to," she barked.

Ruby did as he was told and hoisted the girl clumsily after Sapphire, who was carrying the guy more expertly. Then he asked, "Hey; why am I carrying the lighter one?"

Sapphire looked truly bamboozled. "Ruby, can ya please decide what the hell ya wanna do for once?!"

"Sorry," he whimpered. "Well; it looks like this hole is too steep to climb out. So Ruru, you're up again!"

"Fine," groaned Sapphire, who as before seemed a bit saddened when personal athleticism had to take a backseat to Pokémon in heroics.

The two levitated out holding the unconscious couple. "Are they-" wept their friend.

"They're alive, but they need help," said Ruby. "Probably professional help."

"Yeah," agreed Sapphire, and she brought her Tropius out again. "Hey Pilo; take these three to Rustboro Hospital; pronto! Think ya can keep 'em on, Sis?"

The girl, who seemed to be a lot calmer now that she knew her companions would be okay, said "I've got strong chord for climbing, so I can tie them with that. Thank you!"

"My pleasure! C'mon Ruby, let's go down and explore this new tunnel some more!"

Ruby was a bit skeptical at the idea but had to ask, "Wow; you think this has something to do with that receding spring in Lavaridge Town?

Sapphire looked proud. "Ya know; I got a sinkin' feeling it _does_!" Ruby and the hiker girl glared at her. "Ehehe; no pun intended, of cos!"

* * *

Back on the cave floor below, Sapphire squatted down and felt at the ground, as she often did when trying to get the feel of unknown terrain, and then leaned against the pile of tumbled rocks that had been formed when the ground caved in, listening. "A-ha! Ruby, come here ta looka this!"

Ruby looked around. "I see, a tunnel, and a cave-in."

"Right; I meant feel and hear and smell, too," explained Sapphire. "Touch that spot on the ground."

"But it looks muddy," he protested.

Instead of being annoyed, Sapphire grinned triumphantly, and said "Yeah, it is. Now you really _are_ looking. But here you'll need to…_hear._" She motioned for him to come over and lean on the rocks, and for the wonder he didn't protest. However, even leaning against the former mountain terrain in the same position she was, he couldn't pick anything up. "Oh right," granted Sapphire, "Ya can't hear as well as me. But _I _hear running water somewhere behind there!"

Ruby took her at her word. "I see. In that case, I think the pieces of this puzzle are coming together." He punctuated this by taking more pictures with his camera, in ways that made him think of Sherlock Holmes looking at things with his magnifying glass while wishing some brilliant old chap would invent portable cameras. "I believe that the water that partially erupts at Lavaridge town mostly goes up through here, and down that way. Or it _did_. Somehow, I think the water drained too fast down that way, depriving Lavaridge town of much of it. Meanwhile, this wide bit of the cavern had a flimsy roof; the running water must have been the _only _thing holding it up, so when that water disappeared, down went the roof right here."

"Wow," said Sapphire. "Ya really are a smart guy, Ruby! Ya take my stray observations and turn 'em into…sciencey stuff that's probably good for our report! Well; only one way ta prove it; let's head on down that tunnel and find more clues!"

Initially, Ruby followed that suggestion. He walked down the tunnel with Sapphire, and when he judged it to be too dark, he ordered Ruru to use Flash. Yet after a while, he got a horrible thought. "Sapphire; I'm not sure I really like this. What if that water breaks through again and re-floods this tunnel?"

Sapphire looked at him curiously. "Where'd that brain from before go? There's a Pokémon for that, and you knew of it before me!"

Ruby almost facepalmed, but as usual, his brain worked well, but it didn't always work _quickly _under stress. "Sorry; I forgot Relo. I guess if it floods, he can save us, but please get him out and be ready for the flood, just in case. Call me paranoid, but I think I can hear the water now!"

Sapphire took the suggestion and released Relo, carrying him by hand from there. Ruby moved up close, ready to grab on for dear life in the stony fish's mystical waterproof bubble if things came to that. Sapphire, after a point, said to Ruby, "Yeah Ruby; ya _did _hear the water! But I don't think it's behind us! Keep goin' and we'll see more!" They made haste going down the tunnel, it becoming narrower and narrower but still accommodating them easily enough. The sound of the water got louder and louder; not just a calm running sound but a menacing gurgling sound as well. Then, they passed a fork and took the lower tunnel, its slope back down the mountain became steeper, and as the two eased down the steep slope, they beheld a pond of water; swirling slowly but surely, as if under the influence of a vortex down below.

Ruby shrugged and smiled at the discovery. "Well; looks like someone flushed!"

Sapphire chuckled. "And when I find him, he's gonna be in deep shit!" Ruby stared at her, befuddled. "Okay; bad joke, but you make 'em, too!"

Ruby clarified. "I wasn't reacting to your pun. I'm just wondering why you automatically think there's a scheme behind this."

She shrugged. "I guess _I'm _paranoid, now. But let's get on in there and find out!"

"I don't know, it might not be safe," he worried.

She gripped his hand in one of hers, and pushed it next to her other one holding Relo's bony ridge on his head. "Again; that's why we got Relo," and she pulled them all off the ledge and into the downward spiraling aquifer.

* * *

Meanwhile, a certain attractive, red haired girl sped north from Slateport City in an equally red sports car. She was driving as fast as she could, but had to stop over in Mauville City for gas. Once there, she also checked her phone messages, and found a text from the ranger who'd phoned her earlier: "Flannery; you'd better get here as soon as possible. Things are getting worse!"

She threw her hands up in exasperation, and texted back. "The hot springs draining is unusual, but hardly a crisis. I think you can deal with angry customers, even if all the water disappears." She got back in her car, took a sip of coffee she'd bought at the station, and then took off north again, through Route 111, and then left on Route 112, with its recently-built roads up to Lavaridge Town, which might well have stayed inaccessible by road had not the hot springs at hand become a major tourist attraction.

Lavaridge Town was a relatively recent settlement in Hoenn, and its rise to wide recognition and a greater population had been more recent still. The indigenous people of Hoenn were largely a maritime culture, fishing in the ocean and farming along estuaries; they regarded the wrath of Mount Chimney as something to be avoided entirely, and hardly ventured inland for fear of being stuck in lava. The arrival of a number of Scottish immigrants, most notably the Moore clan, changed that. The Moores were not wealthy and needed money, and so, as a mountain-dwelling people by nature, they boldly set off on a paid expedition to explore the unknown terrain for the natives, and braved the ferocity of the mountains, expertly avoiding the lava flow and finding safe routes, and in the process they'd discovered a much more pleasant effect from the volcanos. When they got back to the old, coastal settlements, they told stories of hot springs, delightful to bathe in, and people soon paid them to escort them up. As the Moore clan did this more and more often, they eventually build houses and an office to manage the springs, and from hence Lavaridge Town grew.

Flannery was the latest of the Moore clan to enjoy a position of authority as the Gym Leader—which usually was a position of authority, despite its relatively unassuming title. At first, she'd been a questionable leader. She exuded the sort of charisma characteristic of the clan, having rich red hair and being quite athletic, as a result of constant hiking and playing basketball in High School, as she became more well-known, she was described by many as the most beautiful girl in Hoenn, and she had a natural affinity for fire Pokémon. Sadly, when she started the job she was also a naïve ditz who preferred hugging Pokémon to training them, and her fire team proved no match for Team Aqua's water team when they attacked.

Yet after Sapphire saved her and the Gym Leaders united in the battle to save Hoenn, she resolved to get her game together. She trained her Pokémon harder, took up Kung Fu training herself with a private tutor, and acquired a new Pokémon as a nice trump card against unsuspecting water assailants. She felt ready for a lot worse than had come before, but didn't expect anything truly bad today. Then, as she pulled into Lavaridge Town, she gawked at the way the dirt road was turning more and more into a _mud _road as she got closer to the springs. The muck got so bad after a point that she rolled up her windows to keep from getting it flung in her face. Finally, she got to the springs, and as she'd already gathered, they were the culprit.

The ranger who had urged her to come back, as well as talked to Sapphire earlier, jogged up and said, "I _told _you things were getting worse!"

Flannery scowled. "You also told me the water in the pools was _receding_; not the opposite. What the Hell happened?"

The ranger shrugged. "It just backed up. First people were overjoyed, and then they were fleeing like it was a _toilet_ backing up!"

Flannery groaned. "Crap; I never wanted to say this, but this is way out of my league. I don't know what to do and someone needs to handle it underground, or else Lavaridge Town is doomed!"

The ranger smiled. "Well maybe some good news. Your friend Sapphire was here earlier with her boyfriend Ruby, and they said they might take a look at it."

Flannery smiled back. "Well, fancy that! I was hoping for the Super Mario Bros, but maybe they'll do!"

* * *

Ruby opened his mouth and breathed heavily like an overheated dog, except more slowly. "Oy," he moaned, "This spinning downward is making me nauseous!"

Sapphire didn't belittle him, perhaps because she knew if Ruby vomited here, it would probably be confined to Relo's magic air bubble and get all over her too—or _would _it? Clearly the ins and outs of Relicanth power had not yet been tested. At any rate, she tried to help, "I'd say 'think of a calm, blue ocean,' but that's pro'ly hard when you're in a rough, black, freshwater stream! So instead, uh, focus on something else. Like maybe just look at our hands here."

Their hands were holding onto the same ridge on Relo's head, and touching; just like before, when they dived into the sea to fight the Team Magma and Team Aqua admins. Had Sapphire deliberately suggested them, for that reason? Thinking of whether she did might have distracted Ruby someone from his troubled stomach, so he kept thinking; now out loud. "Sure takes you back, doesn't it?"

She smiled. "Yeah. You too, eh?"

Ruby somewhat regretted starting this conversation, but he couldn't back out now. "Indeed. We didn't get along too well at that moment."

Sapphire winced a bit, remembering that, but perked back up. "No; but once we got down there, that was when we really started becomin' pals again! I'm so proud ya made the choice ta join the good fight!"

"So you really think we might be flowing right into another 'good fight' now," he asked.

Sapphire nodded. "Somehow I—oh crap Ruby; look at the walls now!"

Ruru had stayed clinging to Ruby's back for the whole trip, shining her light around, but in here there wasn't much to see, and the surrounding rocks were dark-colored anyway, plus their roughness made them blur as the two swirled down the huge geological drain. Yet now, their surroundings had changed, and Ruby, though he hadn't noticed it instantly, certainly did once it was pointed out: "Metal. Rounded metal. We're in a huge pipe."

Sapphire giggled. "As if we ain't made enough toilet jokes already!"

Ruby surprisingly didn't worry. "This water is hot and feels good to bathe in; I suspect we're heading for some giant bathtub rather than a sewer." As if to punctuate this, Relo was suddenly dragged by the current in a parabolic direction, as the pipe shifted from vertical to horizontal.

The accidental waterslide slowed down from there, prompting Sapphire to say, "Wherever we're goin', I think we're almost there." Then, she proved right as the pipe opened into what seemed to be some sort of reservoir, as it had valves, presumably to let water into some other pipes, and a bit of scaffolding above the water with a ladder connecting the two, and a door at the top. Sapphire recalled Relo and climbed up eagerly; then called on Ruby to do the same. She pointed to the door. "Looks like it opens easy from inside. So then, let's go!" She pulled the handle, swung open the door, and they walked through, to confront whomever or whatever was responsible for today's plumbing problems.

* * *

They seemed to be in an attic of sorts, erected around the metallic reservoir. The structure surrounding was wooden, had a low ceiling with exposed rafters—actually, _no _ceiling; just the bare bottom of a diagonal wooden roof—and a wooden floor that felt and sounded hollow. The sound of many voices below, plus a hatch in the center of the room, proved they were in an attic. Eager as always, Sapphire charged over to the hatch and yanked it open, startling a shriek out of a shabby technician clad in overalls below, as well as many more shrieks in nearby rooms in response to his.

The technician regained his composure (even while commotion was continuing nearby) and said to the leering beast, "Oh sorry miss; I didn't know Mr. Fukajima had anyone working the tank today. How's the water looking?"

"Stolen," growled Sapphire loudly, "Ya gotta part in that?!"

The technician gulped, and stammered, "N-n-no miss; I d-d-didn't steal any; I only let it out into the pools at the rate I'm told it needs! I'm loyal to Mr. Fukajima!"

Sapphire leered very close to his face as she eased down the ladder, with Ruby trying to follow, and growled through clenched teeth, "Where can I find him?!"

"Across the street miss! Spare me; please!" She indeed spared him of her worst, but shoved him onto the floor and stalked through a door into a bathhouse full of people in bathing suits, some still bathing in the stolen mineral water but many vacating out of fear, and from there, she could see a windowed door that led out into the street the scared technician had mentioned.

Ruby followed closely and scolded, "Sapph; that was excessive! You could've been nicer!"

She rebutted, "Says you, but these'ere fangs-o-mine get suspects talkin' fast!"

"Or maybe it was your breath."

"Shuddup! When I find Fukajima, I'm 'a show 'im somethin' worse'n both!"

* * *

Outside the establishment, a young man followed his mother out of the new Fallarbor Town Sento. "Aw, ma," he pleaded, "it ain't that bad!"

"Poppycock," squawked the old woman, "First they don't have enough towels, and now the workers get in fights? I'm through with this place!"

The man insisted, "Give it one more chance; please! I'm sure this is just a random occurrence." He followed her down the road, clearly not having convinced her.

Shortly after, Sapphire barged out with Ruby behind, and she threw a Pokéball forcefully onto the ground, letting out Toro, the Blaziken. She shouted in the direction of the fancy house across the street, "Fukajima! Ya in there ya rotten water thief?! Come out an' face justice!"

For a few seconds there was no reply. Then from an upper-story window, out flew another Pokéball, and from it emerged a Sandlash. Then a shady-looking man jumped out after it. "I'll face _anything," _he boasted, "Slash; Dig!"

This was in many respects a good tactic; ground moves were super-effective against fire types, and this particular one also let the shrew evade. Yet Mr. Fukajima called his move out first, allowing for countermeasures, and Sapphire reacted with a devious evasion of her own; grabbing Ruby and then leaping into Toro's arms. "Leap onto the bathhouse!"

Toro did as she was told, prompting a mocking laugh out of Mr. Fukajima. "Foolish girl! No matter where you run, Slash will home in and dig up—oh, shit!" Slash dug straight up in the direction of the evading heroes, and right into the pool in the bathhouse! Water flooded the pores of the earthy rodent's body, weakening it though not quite fainting it, and the attack completely failed.

"Go, Zuzu," shout Ruby as he let his Swampert out, and then, "Use Muddy Water by the building's entrance!" Ruby wasn't sure his plan was a good one, but in fact it worked. The Sandslash rushed out the door back towards its master, only to run straight into a torrent of mud that finished it off. "It's a '_Mud _Slash' _now_" quipped Ruby, and Sapphire half slapped him high-five for that.

"I'm not beat yet," boasted Mr. Fukajima. "Let's see how you do against Guy!" With that, he chucked another ball, releasing a fair-sized, mean-looking Gyarados.

The creature hovered up well above their level, prompting Sapphire to action. "Toro; get back here! Hold him off, Ruby!"

Ruby wished she'd consulted him about that move, but there probably wasn't time, and he got her logic; a water attack would hurt Toro worse than it did Zuzu. So he ordered his watery friend, "Zuzu; Bide!" Meanwhile, Sapphire threw out her Minum.

"Guy! Hydro Pump them," shouted Mr. Fukajima. The creature did so, with Zuzu taking the blow for the team and surviving, but its grip on the wooden roof of the bathhouse proved useless, as it was knocked back and downward, and as such, tore a large part of the roof off, reducing the size of the battlefield, and fell into the building. Fortunately, all of the patrons had fled, and arguably the dirty business had it coming. Mr. Fukajima looked quite enraged at accidentally wrecking his own establishment, but didn't pitch a fit.

"All on you now; Minum! Shock Wave," commanded Sapphire. The little electric rodent emitted lightning from its minus-sign-adorned cheeks, and struck the Gyarados painfully. It may have been a ferocious fish, but its double weakness against electricity proved an Achilles' Heel almost as large as itself, and the beast fainted, beginning a steep plummet from the sky and heading straight towards the bathhouse! "Whoa; look out!" Sapphire grabbed Ruby and leaped off the roof to the side, landing on strong legs that had practice with such a maneuver, while Guy's unconscious body crashed into the front of the bathhouse and broke a crack that merged with the one it made attacking Zuzu, sending a large portion of the bathhouse crashing down!

_Now_ Fukajima was angry! Almost before he was even done recovering his poor Gyarados; he chucked another Pokéball onto the ground like it was a hat he aimed to stomp on, releasing a Skarmory and boarding it. "You meddling kids are gonna pay," he warned as he rose into the sky.

"Why?! _You _didn't," Sapphire shouted after him. Mr. Fukajima didn't aim any more attacks at them; perhaps because of some basic dignity, or perhaps because he worried about damaging his business further. He just fled. "I wish we still had Pilo; then we could chase 'im," mused Sapphire.

Ruby nodded. "True, but using him to save those people on Mount Chimney was the right thing to do."

"Well said, hero," she cheered, thumping him on the back a little too hard.

Around the same time, the young man who had left the bathhouse pursuing his mother finally convinced her to come back and give the bathhouse another try. He was just speechless at what he saw as they rounded the corner; she wasn't: "Hoo; you were very right indeed, my boy; this is a fine bathhouse! If they ever add _nails _to it, it might even win awards! Heh heh heh heh—cough! Cough!"

* * *

Sapphire decided to phone her friend, Winona, about apprehending Fukajima. She was fairly certain the Flying Type Gym Leader could bring him down; unfortunately, she only got a message unit, so for the moment the water thief's fate would remain ambiguous. She did get ahold of Flannery, however, and informed the Fire Type Gym Leader of the problem aquifer; after that, Flannery said blocking up the shaft the thief had dug and fixing the cave-in should be easy enough. "At any rate," she snarked, "I might as well hike up there, since I'm already being forced to stand on higher ground." The two of them then called Rustboro Hospital to check on the patients. They were treated, conscious, and very grateful to the two heroes whose faces they hadn't seen, and so Sapphire told the hospital staff to send Pilo over to Fallarbor Town.

Finally, at Ruby' behest, they called their parents. It was getting late, and they didn't have a quick ride home now. Their parents were worried; probably not so much about their children getting hurt (even Norman acknowledged that Ruby could now take care of himself), but maybe about the sleeping arrangements the two would make, and whether they'd be appropriate. Yet Ruby was confident in a bright idea of his: "I know where we can each get a room for free!"

They ate dinner at a restaurant first, with a bit of reading done on the menu and then on Sapphire's assigned homework. (That was supposed to wait until tomorrow, but so what?) Then, however, Ruby led Sapphire over to the Super-Rank Contest Hall, a building he knew well; along with many of its staff. Upon entering, Ruby didn't even need to introduce himself. One of the cashiers just grinned happily. "Hey; champion!" She seemed like she wanted to rush over and hug him, but that wouldn't have been professional, and she probably took a hint from Sapphire's presence. (And Sapphire had an awkward look on her face, though for a different reason that the cashier may have suspected.)

"Hello again, Lydia," greeted Ruby back. "Meet my good friend Sapphire, who's something of a champion herself! In fact, you might even say she's the reason I got involved in Pokémon contests in the first place!" Sapphire was a bit perturbed at this bit, but decided it was self-deprecation as much as anything else, and besides, Ruby put his right arm around her back and squeezed when he said it. "Look; I'd love to judge some contests, but maybe tomorrow. For now, could you please do me a favor?"

"Hmm, name it."

"Sapphire and I got stuck here on a little misadventure. Could you provide us each a room for the night?"

Lydia threw up her hands. "During the busy season I'd probably say no, but right now we aren't even close to overbooked, so yes; I'll grant you this. After all, you two _did _save Hoenn!"

Sapphire gaped a bit. "You know about that?"

Lydia smiled. "Of course. Just because we're a contest hall, doesn't mean we're stupid, 'Wild Girl!'"

Sapphire gawked a bit more, and then just laughed, amiably. "Nah; cos not!"

"Well, good night Sapphire; see you in the morning, said Ruby as Lydia led them to Sapphire's provided room, and gave her their customary hug, though a bit light; perhaps because he was still shy in public.

* * *

Sapphire looked around the provided room. It wasn't very big, but the staff had obviously gone to great lengths to make it pleasant, which for Sapphire, made it…well; _goofy, _to say the least. The walls, counters, bed, and carpet were all in varying shades of red, purple, violet, and pink, the place smelled a bit like perfume, and the bathroom had luxurious towels and more than one type of soap and shampoo available in large supplies; quite antithetical to what hotels usually provided!

The main room had a mirror with light bulbs running around its circumference, to double as a dressing room, and this prompted Sapphire to look at herself (rather scuffed up today, with all she'd gone through) in it, with the backdrop of the embarrassingly cushy room. She glanced at the scene nervously, and then caught sight of a mounted picture by the bed. It showed a Plusle and Minum holding hands, dressed up as a prom/wedding couple, and at this, Sapphire had to gush. She looked around again and smiled. "This room is…just fine! Cos it was given ta me by Ruby as a nice gift, from one friend o' his ta another, and ta deservin' heroes!" She thought of going right to bed, but figured that she might as well wash up first; it was the least she owed her benefactors. As she got into the tub, she said to herself, "Well; we got inta some hot water, but overall it was a _dammed _good day! Kay; 'nuff stupid plumbin' jokes!"


	9. Chapter 8

Both Ruby and Sapphire were woken up rather early on Sunday morning, by staff with a similar message: "There's a Tropius outside, and we think it may belong to you!"

"Yep; that'd be good ol' Pilo," chirped Sapphire.

Ruby also commented, "Well, there's our transportation arrangements taken care of, but why don't we stick around a little while? I'm 'Coach' again, if I'm not mistaken."

"Right, Coach! What'll we do today?"

"Well," said Ruby, "I think our lesson should also involve us starting our report, but first, I think Pilo deserves a reward, and we might be able to provide just the thing! Do you have any berries, Sapphire?"

"Yeah; I always pick a whole bunch," she replied. "But Pilo eats 'em all the time; why's that a good reward?"

Ruby smiled. "We aren't serving them raw. What are his tastes?"

Sapphire hadn't exactly been too discerning about this, but with some effort, she recalled. "I think he likes bitter stuff, but doesn't like spice much!"

"Very well, then," said Ruby. "Could you see if you have any bitter berries?"

Sapphire rummaged in her fanny pack, and then her backpack, and finally found something: "Here's a Rawst. It's a bit bitter!"

"Then come over here, to these machines," said Ruby. "Actually, it would be better if we have one more."

"Sorry; I'm fresh out; at least if ya want bitter."

Just then, Lydia, who had apparently been listening in, said, "Excuse me, I've got an Aguav berry you two can use, if you want." Both looked at her. Sapphire wondered whether she should be snooping, and why she might be, but if she liked Ruby, at least she was a lot nicer than Cedi. "And just for future reference," continued Lydia, "there is a farmer's market in this town, where you can go to load up on berries, if you like."

"Ah yes," said Ruby. "Fallarbor Town is a big agricultural center. Thanks; I think that Aguav will do, if indeed it's bitter."

"They are; I'm kinda a berry expert," said Sapphire.

"Then we'll use this one," said Ruby, accepting the berry from Lydia, and sitting down in one of the multiple seats surrounding a machine. "Please sit over there, and load your Rawst berry." Sapphire did so, not exactly sure what to make of this. "Now, let's berry blender!"

Sapphire grinned. "Aw c'mon; even _I _know that's bad grammar!"

Ruby laughed. "I know; but it's just some memetic expression people say when they do this. I don't know who started it, but apparently it was funny enough to stick around."

Satisfied enough with that explanation, Sapphire got on board, "So, coach, um, how exactly _do_ we 'berry blender?'"

"Don't worry; it's easy, especially with your reflexes," said Ruby. "First, you put the berry into the slot in front of you, as we already did. Now, do you see that spinning bowl in the machine? All you do is press the button when the marked area of it goes by your station, and that squirts some berry juice into the blender, and I do the same."

"I got it coach," she said enthusiastically, "Let's berry blender!"

"You've got it indeed," he commended, and started up the machine. Ruby's reflexes weren't as good, but he had experience with exactly when to push the button. Sapphire's superior reflexes got her a hit every time, but it took a bit of guesswork to find the optimal time to do it. Fortunately, the machine gave feedback as to when injections were too soon or too late, and so eventually both of them did very well, and out popped a processed, green, candy cube.

"That was actually kinda fun," admitted Sapphire, in a tone that suggested she'd never expected to find any activity undertaken at a contest hall to be fun.

"Wait; there's more," said Ruby, and he handed her the Pokéblock. "You should feed this to Pilo!"

"S'pose so," she said. "So long as that processing didn't make it too much worse…"

Ruby picked at that defensively but comically: "Hey; you got me to eat that awful trailmix, so I suspect you'll manage here!"

Sapphire went back outside and held the little cube out to her Pokémon. Pilo looked immediately interested, and actually kneeled down with its head lowered to the level of Sapphire's hands and its mouth open; almost like a big, reptilian, leafy dog. She popped the cube into its mouth, the Tropius gulped it down, and, to her surprise, looked _more _happy than when it consumed raw berries. It also opened its eyes wider, and looked around at its surroundings attentively. She looked from it back to Ruby, visibly impressed. "Wow Ruby; your idea for Pilo seemed ta do somethin' good for him, but I ain't sure what."

"Bitter Green Pokéblock," said Ruby in his occasional know-it-all-about-something-for-once fashion. "Pleases Pokemon who like that sort of thing, and also makes them smarter!"

"Wow; now that's cool," said Sapphire, and she mostly meant it—part of her was a tad skeptical, but stranger things had happened, so why not? "So we can make Pilo a lot happier _and _a lot smarter?"

"Indeed," said Ruby excitedly. "We could even enter him in a Smartness Contest!"

Sapphire winced, and said, "So, uh how 'bout that lesson and report, coach," while getting an odd vision of Pilo being made to sit at a desk and solve complicated equations.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mr. Fukajima, who had fled to a safe hiding spot the previous night, was also woken up; as it turned out, by a call from the technician whom Sapphire had interrogated. "I am very sorry to bother you, boss, but we have a problem at the bathhouse!"

"No shit," replied the thieving bathhouse proprietor. "I was there when Pokémon wrecked it."

"It's not just that, sir. The main part of the place is wrecked; yes. However, the reservoir is still intact, but it's drying up. No more water is coming in, and this crazy, angry girl working there told me she thought someone was stealing it, and it looks like she was right! I bet the same thieves sent those Pokémon to attack!"

Mr. Fukajima had a feeling of exactly who that "crazy, angry girl" was, but it seemed his employee had misinterpreted her words and still didn't know it was he who was the thief here, so he played along. "Well; we can't let that happen; can we, Flonk? I've got an idea of where those thieves cut us off, and we're gonna go fix it today. Meet me atop Mount Chimney around noon, and we'll take back the lifeblood of our proud establishment!"

* * *

Ruby led Sapphire into a library, and today, they did some reading about geology, but seeing the computer lab of the library gave him another idea. "Sapphire, I think I know of a way to start our report!"

"Ya mean about our awesome battle against those rotten water thieves?! Do tell, coach!"

He grinned and blushed. "Well, the bit about the water, anyway. Let me just go online and collect some pictures of Mount Chimney." He did so, finding a map that showed the mountain, along with Lavaridge Town (to the south of it) and Fallarbor Town, (to the north), as well as a picture that showed the mountain as seen from the east, and a few others.

Ruby saved and printed these, and then pulled out his sketchbook. He inadvertently displayed the picture he'd drawn of Sapphire in her bathing suit, and though he flipped away quickly, she reacted just as quickly, in her usual fashion. "What's that?!"

As often, Ruby stumbled through an explanation that he thought would help him save face. "It's uh, I'm, I'm going to draw a diagram of the way the water flows through Mount Chimney."

Sapphire knocked the book right out of his hands, and tried to flip back to the picture he actually _knew _she was talking about, but instead flipped to another picture that Ruby had drawn on the same day as that one, and was even more befuddled. "Zuzu…with a mustache…and glasses?"

Ruby hoped he could defuse this along those lines. "It's not necessarily Zuzu; it's just a Mudkip in general!"

"Uh huh." She thumbed through the book some more, and found the picture she was looking for. "So how 'bout this one?! Not necessarily me; just some gal with fangs, eh?!"

Ruby just squeaked, "D-don't hurt me!"

Sapphire grabbed him and lifted him up by the shoulders, just to tease, then laughed and let him down. "Hehehe; I won't hurt ya for that, Ruby! That's really just nature; sketch all ya want!" He seemed relieved. "So long as I can do a drum solo about you in yar swimsuit!"

Ruby finally eased up and giggled himself. "I think that would be more of a piccolo part."

Sapphire giggled back, but then asked, "What's piccolo?"

"Never mind," said Ruby, "So should we start with the report already?"

"Oh yeah! Other kids'll be wowed at our adventure!" Ruby decided not to bother reining such enthusiasm in. He just drew a hopefully-decent diagram of Mount Chimney, with a cross-section of the regular path of the water, the artificially-dug path beneath it, and some captions indicating the causes and effects of the water's diversion. Then he said, "You know, Sapphire, I'm betting they also had a maintenance tunnel," and drew one in.

* * *

Somewhere up at the base of a steep slope of Mount Chimney, Mr. Fukajima and his flunky, Flonk, made their planned rendezvous, and the slippery boss wasted no time getting down to business. "So obviously, somebody plugged up the tunnel leading to our pipeline, but fortunately, I have a maintenance tunnel dug for just such a purpose. Slash, come out and dig us into the wall there!"

The Sandslash did as it was told, digging through a section of the mountain that, as it turned out, was nothing but a flimsy façade, thrown up to hide a sizable tunnel it had already dug. Flonk was impressed. "You really _have _thought ahead."

Mr. Fukajima grinned an evil grin. "Yes, Flonk; a good thief always has a contingency plan!" Flonk looked confused about this, reminding his boss that he was still somewhat ignorant of the realities. "But uh; I have an even _better _contingency plan than the thief, so we'll show him!"

"Yeah boss; we'll show him how real entrepreneurs do entrepreneurial stuff!"

"Uh, yes; we sure will. Now let's get in there and do some entrepreneurial stuff to our unfortunate clog!" They wandered into the tunnel, and it sloped down, as well as veered to the left a bit, eventually coming around under the natural course of the water, and ending near the entrance to the tunnel that led to the pipe. Sure enough, there was a pile of rocks, reinforced with some waterproof plastic, clogging the pipe above them.

There was something else, though, much more ominous; from that giant stopper hung a sign. It was too dark to read at first, but not too dark to see it was a plaque, and so Flonk shined his flashlight on it, and read. "If you're reading this now, congratulations: You just got caught in your own trap." There was also a lot more smaller text beneath that message, and he squinted to read it. "Also, I have charges placed on this thing, ready to blow and drown you if you interfere with it again. You should probably get out of there now!" He shined the light back on Mr. Fukajima, whose face bore a very worried look. "So what was that about having a better contingency plan?"

"Shut up, Flonk," barked his boss. "We aren't beaten yet; so let's get on out and rethink this!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Ruby had begun typing up their report. The additional priority of teaching Sapphire to read was very important to him, as part of his earnest promise to her, but she had wanted to do a report on geological phenomena at Mount Chimney, too, and considering how much a perfect opportunity had presented itself, he had decided to merge the two orders of the day: He would type up a rough draft of the paper, and then give her the chance to read it, as practice.

While he did that, Sapphire excused herself for a short trip to the farmer's market that Lydia had told them about earlier in the day. When got close to the market, two girls at one of the kiosks called her out. "Omigosh; are you Sapphire Birch?!"

She grinned, which probably was an answer in and of itself, and replied, "Depends who's asking. Ya Team Aqua or Magma?"

They both laughed, and one said, "My goodness; no! I'm Sophie, and this here is my friend, Nancy!"

Sapphire laughed. "Of cos you ain't those creeps! And yeah; I'm Sapphire."

"We are big fans of yours. Of course, you saved Hoenn, but we also admire you because during your adventures, you healed your Pokémon using only berries!"

Sapphire blushed a bit. "Yeah; I guess I'm a glutton for punishment! No disrespect or nothin', but I wouldn't expect ta stay in business sellin' berries when those Pokémon centers heal Pokémon for free, and it's quicker too. And nothin' wrong with that; helpin' people and Pokemon's great."

"Oh; I know that," said Nancy. "But actually, we do great business here. That contest hall down the road, people there are always wanting berries to turn into Pokéblocks to feed and improve their Pokémon. We come in from the surrounding countryside with a bunch of berries, and those contestants are always coming to buy them."

"That makes sense, actually," concluded Sapphire. "It was a girl at the contest hall who told me about this place; Lizzie maybe."

"I think you mean Lydia," said Sophie. "She's a good friend of ours. You might say in naturalistic terms, those contest folks and we naturalists exist in symbiosis."

"Yeah, Lydia," Sapphire acknowledged, while having some additional responses to the statement in her thoughts."

"So, can we get your autograph," asked Nancy.

"Of cos! Though I warn ya; I'm not much with a pen!"

"No worries," Nancy insisted. "In fact, have some berries on us!"

Sapphire did so, after signing the autographs. On the way back, she kept flashing back to Sophie's statement. "In naturalistic terms, those contest folks and we naturalists exist in symbiosis." That meant something; she was sure of it.

* * *

Mr. Fukajima and his still-clueless sidekick, Flonk, emerged from the maintenance shaft, the former with a strong resolve in his head, and the latter with not much in there, and before they even were fully out, they were apprehended by a bombastic, if slightly unsure-sounding voice. "Halt! You are under arrest for stealing the sacred property of Mother Hoenn…though I admit to holding shares in it, in a matter of speaking…but halt anyway! I'm still arresting your asses, and you would be wise to go quietly, or face the wrath of my mighty molten Maccargo!" That would be Flannery, the peculiar-yet-passionate gym leader of Lavaridge Town, determined to set things to rights, and releasing the aforementioned Maccargo as she spoke.

"Maccargo, eh" challenged Mr. Fukajima. "Foolish girl; you cannot possibly win against Guy!" In saying that, he released his Gyarados again, ready to wreck some havoc in a new arena that, fortunately for him, would not destroy his business. Meanwhile, Flonk fled off to the right in confusion.

"Psyche!" Flannery made a questionable attempt at an evil laugh, while chucking another Poké Ball up in front of her Maccargo and releasing a rather different Pokémon in front of him; her new Lanturn. Meanwhile, Mr. Fukajima had commanded Guy to use Hydro Pump—much as Flannery had planned. The Lanturn, reacting quickly as trained to do so, moved to intercept the attack, and caught it squarely in the face! He was pushed back, directly into the Macargo, but nonetheless, absorbed all the water without any sign of damage. "Aww; you'll give the poor lad gas! Lanturn, punish it with Spark!"

The Lanturn obeyed, emitting a bit of electricity from the luminescent bulb protruding from its forehead on a stalk, and leaping at the Gyarados, which fainted, just as it had before Sapphire's Minum. All Mr. Fukajima could do was shout, "You!"

Flannery cackled again. "Yes; I made like I was going to use a fire Pokémon, and you bought it hook line and sink…hey, why am I using fishing jokes when I'm a fire leader? Uh, probably because I used an angler fish irregardless! Now, time to reel you in!"

"You'll get no chance, brat! Go, Skarlton!"

"Skarlton?! You named your Skarmory Skarlton? That's-" She was cut off by the Skarmory laying into the Lanturn with its Air Cutter attack! "Oh no! Maccargo, cover him and use Overheat! Laturn, take this!" The Maccargo easily downed Skarlton with that, and meanwhile Flannery tossed a flask of mineral water at Lanturn, using its hidden ability to heal it easily.

While Mr. Fukajima threw out his Sandslash, suddenly Flonk grabbed Flannery by the shoulder and yelled, "Stand down, thieving wretch!"

Her reaction was to whip her head around, raking Flonk's eyes with her spiky hair, and getting him to let go, and while he regained his composure, she yelled, "Lanturn, Bubblebeam," crouched into her Kung Fu stance and got ready for another attack. Flonk swung at her, only for her to nimbly lean out of it and deflect him down to the side with a quick motion of her left hand, and swing the right side of her body forward for a Falcon Punch into Flonk's face! She swung back and finished him with a left roundhouse kick to the ribs. "Thieving wretch! You're really not too bright, are you?"

"No, he's not," agreed Mr. Fukajima; his last Pokémon finished. "Can we, uh, talk about this?"

* * *

Sapphire strolled back into the Fallarbor Town Library fairly punctually, as Ruby had just finished typing up the rough draft of his Geology report. The diagram he'd drawn of Mount Chimney had also been cleaned up, labeled, and colored. "Are you ready to read this, Sapphire," asked Ruby.

"No," she replied; not entirely in jest, "Let's get started!" (Clearly, Ruby wasn't the only one who dabbled in self-deprecation.)

"Well, just do your best; nobody is judging you," he said.

"'Erosion and Disarming'…uh no."

"Remember," advised Ruby. "Don't guess. Look at it and try to pronounce it."

Sapphire tried again: "Dis…rup…tion."

"Good."

"Thanks Coach! Kay; 'By Ruby Yuki and Sapphire Birch. Have you ever seen a pipe or a hose spring a leak? Li…quid sprays out of it in a straight stream. Perhaps you've also pressed on a pump to squirt water out of something. This is because liquid, unc…unlike gas, can't really be…compared?' No; 'compressed. It always is pushing on its…containers, and can push things away, too. This…process is at work, along with erosion, in natural water…ways," and…recently, we had a chance to…witness it in a…dra…ma…tic way.'"

"You are doing well," commended Ruby.

"Thanks, pal. Um, what's dramatic?"

Ruby suddenly wondered if his writing style was too fancy and wordy for Sapphire's good at times, and answered, "In this context, 'big and loud.'"

"Cool!"

Sapphire read on, stumbling at times but managing with Ruby's help. It was especially nice that she felt she was genuinely learning to read by doing this; she was liable to remember words she read here, because she actually personally cared about the subject. Yet soon, disappointment dawned. The report included descriptions of how water pushed in various directions, how it was likely to have carved out the aquifer that partially fed Lavaridge Town's hot springs with the passage of time, how it hollowed out a section of the mountain and still held up the terrain above it, and how an unexpected change somewhere past Lavaridge Town had caused the springs to recede, the ceiling ahead to cave in, and the resulting diversion of pressure to flood Lavaridge Town. Yet there was no mention of how the disruption was caused by thieves digging into the natural aquifers, and certainly none about her and Ruby's righteous quest to apprehend them. "Ruby! Ya said ya'd put in the bit about us fightin' the bad guys!"

Ruby was embarrassed; he had a feeling this would come up, but he felt he needed to correct her on one detail: "Actually, I didn't. I merely didn't say I _wouldn't _do it last time you brought it up…but I didn't say I would, either."

"Aw, whatever! Ya goofed, is the point."

He spoke slowly. "No, Sapphire. I meant to do that. All of that just isn't relevant to the point of this report. This is just supposed to be information."

Despite the oldest library rule in the book, Sapphire yelled at him. "Not relevant?! What's this, then?!" She literally shoved his diagram in his face, all-but punching him in the nose in the process. "Ya drew in the thieves' tunnels and maintenance shaft! It's got everything ta do with the point; don't deny it!"

"Okay, I can't deny it's important in a way," he said. "But how important, exactly? Are you sure this desire to put that into the report isn't just based on your personal grandeur?"

Sapphire got mad and may have been about to yell again, but instead, she grabbed him hard on the shoulder with her left hand, and with her right, pointed her index finger accusingly at (and close to) his face, saying (loudly, if not quite yelling) "Lemme turn that around. Ya sure leavin' it out isn't just yar own gripe at this adventure stuff?"

This gave Ruby pause; pause that made Sapphire grin victoriously. No; he wasn't sure at all that this wasn't personal. Before he could admit his possible inobjectivity, though, a librarian saved him, briefly, by telling them to take their heated discussion outside. Sapphire said, quickly but relatively quietly, "If ya have any self-respect, ya'll follow me," and rushed out the door, with Ruby's detailed diagram of Mount Chimney still in her hands.

* * *

Sapphire hadn't gone far; only to a park across the street, but instead of looking back at the Library, she looked up at Mount Chimney, where only a day ago, they'd had an exciting adventure, and then concluded the day amiably, with Ruby doing her a favor and getting her a room. This morning, things had stayed nice, with Ruby showing the same consideration to Pilo, and then her having that poignant conversation with the girls at the Farmer's Market, and then…this. As often, it seemed that just when things were going so well, some disagreement came in and ruined it all. So far, they had always recovered, but how long would they keep doing so? She tried to distract herself, by grabbing onto the trunk of a tall tree of the park, and shimmying up to a thick limb, but this just gave her a better view of the mountain and town that hosted the recent events.

Ruby soon arrived. He hadn't tried to keep up with her, but kept her in his view, and eventually got to the base of the tree and tried to talk. "Alright, Sapphire. I've followed you. Now could we please talk about this?"

Sapphire wasn't satisfied. "Followed me, eh? Then why am I up here while you're still down there?"

"I'm close enough for your good ears to hear me Sapphire, now listen. How much do you really care about including this bit in our report?"

"A bit," she said, which sounded surprisingly conservative to Ruby, considering her reaction earlier. "I don't like that you actually put my name on it, but won't even take my input. I helped you find out what happened there, Ruby."

"I'm…sorry," he granted.

Sapphire wasn't done. "But come up here, and I'll tell ya somethin' else!"

Ruby was a bit boggled. "But there are no branches between me and you!"

Sapphire explained. "You grab onto the trunk hard, and then wiggle to get up it." Ruby surprised her by actually making an attempt, if scowling and groaning while doing so. It wasn't that good, though, so she tried again. "Think of using your legs to hold from falling, and your arms to go up. When you pull up with your arms, loosen your legs, then tighten 'em again to rest your arms and then get a higher grip. Repeat."

Ruby tried again. This was strenuous and uncomfortable. Probably harder than anything he was asked to do in his school Physical Education class, and maybe even more than anything Sapphire had thrown at him since this whole training thing started. Doing what Sapphire recommended scraped his nice clothes in a way he did not approve of, and felt like it was bruising his skin underneath, but it seemed as though it was actually working. He paused to say, "Can't you come down here?"

"Talkin' wastes energy! Ya wanna run out and fall and break yar back?" This was rude, probably said partially out of Sapphire's ongoing annoyance at Ruby's censored report, but somehow the threat of such an injury gave him something of a boost, and he tightened up, and then pulled up again.

As Ruby continued his shimmy up the tree, suddenly an increasingly relevant memory came back again. It was that fateful day when he first meant Sapphire, and the Salamence attacked. The feeling of climbing brought him back to a vision of climbing a tree (granted, a smaller and less steep one) as a younger boy, and then reaching down from the limb to pull Sapphire up into it. Was it just his imagination or did this truly happen? The more Ruby thought of it, the more he was sure it was a real memory, and as he scraped himself again and again, he mourned to himself, "I used to do this sort of thing all the time, and look at how pathetic I am now. Why did Sapphire have to rub my nose in this?" Not that he thought it was deliberate, but it still hurt, and she was mad, so who knew?

Somehow, Ruby made it up to the limb, slowly and cautiously swung his legs over it, and let go of the trunk, looking worried as to whether he would fall. Sapphire judged that unlikely, so she just stayed where she was and let him crawl over to join her eventually, though he was too cautious to go too far out the branch. "Not too bad," she commended. "Now, why don't we talk about that paper some more." She held up the diagram she'd stolen. "I said I care just a bit that you didn't put the stuff about us saving the water in your report. I could take that, though. Ya know what I think made me maddest?"

"No. I really was wondering about that statement. Why were you so mad if-"

"The problem," she continued, "is that _you_ don't care _at all_ that you left that out. Why is it such a shame?"

Ruby was no longer denying that Sapphire had likely assessed him correctly. "I…I really don't know, Sapphire. I guess some things just aren't that important to me."

"Lemme show you something," she offered, crawling toward him to hand him the diagram.

Then, as she got closer, she slipped off the branch and began to fall, releasing the diagram and making a failed reach for the limb. Ruby shot out his own hand to grab hers, instinctively tightening his legs around the limb to prevent being pulled off himself, and successfully caught Sapphire. He then pulled her up, and while still gripping her hand, shouted. "You did that on purpose! And you could have survived that fall, anyway!"

"Ya're welcome," she said with one of her typical fangy grins. "Ya say that, but it ain't stopped ya from savin' me anyhoo!"

"So, um, shame on me," he asked cautiously.

Sapphire tightened her grip on his hand and yelled, angrily, "No! Good for ya Ruby! See; I did that ta prove a point! Remember weeks ago ya said ya thought ya were pathetic and wanted ta get better?"

"Of course I remember, and I'm thankful to you for training me."

Sapphire loosened her grip at this. "You're welcome again, but here's my point. I'm doing my part in that, but you've gotta do yours, too. Success is an attitude, Ruby."

"So I've heard, from every hokey gym teacher ever," he snarked.

"Yeah, sorry, but this ain't a ballgame, Ruby. You've done stuff that makes a difference for people. You wanna be able to do that a lot, like I do? Then you need to stop running from it and embrace it. Be proud of your good deeds. I was proud of them, and look where I am, now!"

Somehow, that statement paralyzed Ruby. He actually teared up a bit, and seemed lost in thought. Finally, he managed a soft, whiny, "Thank you."

"Just 'thank you,'" inquired Sapphire?

"Sapphire, as I came up, I was thinking of that day the Salamence attacked. I climbed up a tree and then helped you up, and climbing this one brought back those memories. I felt bad that I got worse at such tasks. But then, as this progressed, the way you played it, the memory isn't a burden anymore, but an inspiration."

Sapphire giggled at this flowery statement, and just replied. "Ya said it yarself; I did that on purpose!"

Ruby threw his other arm (the one that wasn't holding her hand) around her shoulder and half-hugged her. Sapphire, though, took it further, releasing her grip on his hand to squeeze his body hard with both of her arms. Then, since they were close anyway, she kissed him, causing his eyes to open wide as dishes and his face to turn as red as if Popo the Castform had kissed him while using Sunny Day! Ruby knew pushing her away was futile, but he was surprised to find himself tightening his own grip around her. When Sapphire broke it off, Ruby took some comfort in seeing that she was blushing just as hard as he was. Both were too embarrassed to speak for a while, but finally Sapphire, still the more bold of the two, burst out "Ruby and Sapphire, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G! I'm off!" She swung out of the branch, landed on her feet on the ground, and ran off, still embarrassed but also elated.

Ruby, while watching her leave, finally shouted out, "I'll change the report!" Sapphire didn't reply, but he knew she could hear. Then, to himself, Ruby muttered, "Wild Thing, I think I love you."

**I hope you have enjoyed the _real_ version of Chapter 8! I certainly like it better than the April Fools version I posted! Now, I actually have some commentary for this chapter. I wasn't initially planning to leave that April Fools chapter up past April Fools Day, so why did I? Why was this chapter maybe a bit behind schedule? Simple; I ruined my keyboard by accidentally spilling hot cocoa on it, and had to buy a new one before I regained full use of my computer.**

**Now, a few bits of this chapter I'd like to explain, in case anybody asks: Why does Flannery have the authority to arrest people, and why did she study martial arts? This stems from my pet project to formulate some sort of coherent view of the Pokémon world, and what is interesting is that the backstory I came up with on my own was partially corroborated by _Pokémon Conquest_. My take on this all is that the Pokémon world occupies an alternate timeline where the existence of Pokémon changed Japanese history; in their timeline, Oda Nobunaga never conquered Japan, power remained in the hands of Daimyo, or regional samurai barons, and these authorities evolved into what are now called Gym Leaders. Because history was altered, the territories also didn't necessarily become isolationist, which is why in some cases foreigners, such as the Moore clan, were allowed in such positions of power. I merely touched on that in this story, but I hope to come back to it in more detail in future works.**

**As you may have figured, I actually majored in East Asian History, and I also highly recommend _Pokémon Conquest_; it's a wonderful repurposing of the traditional mechanics. Bye for now!**


	10. Chapter 9

Ruby felt an odd combination of embarrassed, giddy, and empowered as he watched Sapphire running off to a destination he wasn't sure of. (Maybe Sapphire wasn't sure of it, either; maybe she was just getting some space between them to collect her thoughts.) "This must be what they mean," he thought to himself, "by that 'lighter than air' feeling." Then, that "lighter than air" feeling took a dangerous hold of his thought processes, as he decided to follow Sapphire's lead and leap on down from the tree.

Sapphire, meanwhile, was continuing her run to a destination she wasn't sure of, when she heard Ruby let out a pained wail from back in the vicinity of that tree. She turned around and rushed back over; her strong intuition already giving her a good idea what happened. Sure enough, that funny feeling was an illusion, because Ruby hadn't handled his fall very well. He now was resting on his left knee, with his right leg splayed out. "I—I think I broke it," he said in a voice that sounded like it would start crying if he said anymore.

"Oh my! I'm sorry," said Sapphire, and she really _did _feel like she was responsible for this on some level. "I know the feeling; that's happened to me before." (This wasn't a lie, though it was a long time in the past, and so she said it just to make him feel a bit better.) "Here; lemme help you up."

"That would be a start," Ruby groaned. "Oh; don't forget our homework, there." Sapphire stuffed the paper into her backpack, and then lifted Ruby off the ground, causing him to cry out in pain. "Aaaagh! It hurts worse now!"

"Squeeze my hand and try not ta think about it," she advised, and he obeyed, but still moaned on occasion. Fortunately, the park they were in was right in Downtown Fallarbor Town, so it wasn't long before bystanders arrived and gave them advice on a medical clinic. Sapphire took the advice and charged in the direction of the place, sacrificing a bit of Ruby's comfort for speed, but he tried his best to be brave and bear it. She was helping him, and at this point Ruby was past trivializing such help. Still, his eyes were dripping tears; maybe even worse because he didn't cry out.

Upon reaching the clinic, Sapphire kicked the door open (not hard, but with a sense of purpose that passionate heroes have—and also, of course, because her arms were full), and yelled to the desk clerk, "This poor guy needs attention!"

Ruby cringed a bit, while the clerk said, "Alright; please be seated and we'll be with you in a moment," in that calm-and-polite-but-obviously-still-irritated way that bureaucrats will say things. Sapphire grudgingly obeyed, and then caught sight of Ruby's tear-drenched face. She said nothing, but yanked off her bandana and sweetly dried him up, while cradling his face in her other arm. Ruby wasn't sure how he felt about that, so he didn't say anything, either.

Ultimately, the doctors did, in fact, see to Ruby's leg, and he arrived home late, in Sapphire's tender loving care, and gauze. Norman took a look at Ruby as Sapphire escorted him in, and instead of "sorry" or "oh; poor guy," said, "Looks like you had a really eventful two days!"

"It certainly had its ups and downs," groaned Ruby in response. "The latter hurt a lot more."

* * *

The following weeks were certainly different from those in the past. Ruby often had to make use of crutches to walk around school, but Sapphire also helped him move around when she could. She didn't carry him—Ruby found that to be too embarrassing—but she held his hand or sometimes half-lifted him by putting her arm around his torso while at his side, and she seemed to like that just fine. Privately, Ruby did, too. Physical Education class, which the two had already gained permission to abstain from, was now completely out of the question for Ruby, but Sapphire still did her best that period to act as his physical therapist; ensuring those bits of his body that weren't broken would stay/get strong.

Meanwhile, Ruby had meant what he said about their report. He revised it to include the whole story of Mr. Fukajima's theft of the water, and their apprehension of him, and he even asked Sapphire to read it again to make sure she approved. Indeed she did, which meant the two had gotten their first Geology project done well ahead of schedule, and could spend more time in the sort of after-school and weekend activities that aimed at addressing their deficiencies…though for Ruby, the options were obviously limited.

The two hadn't kissed again since that evening when it ended painfully, and in fact, both felt too embarrassed to talk about it, but Ruby thought about the incident every time he was with her, and sometimes when he wasn't, too. In stark contrast to his attitude at the beginning of the semester, now he felt there was no going back; Sapphire and he were indeed becoming a couple, and no petty injury was going to stop that. He still wasn't sure if he could be the man he thought she deserved for all she did, but he was determined to try his hardest.

A poignant moment occurred one day in Language class, with Cedi talking about Sapphire for the first time in a while since Ruby demanded she stop, but this time, amazingly, it wasn't a mean remark: "Sapphire's being really nice to you, whatwith your broken leg."

Ruby nodded. "She feels partially responsible for that, though really; I was just stupid—yes, though; it _is_ really nice of her."

"Well; good for her," said Cedi, and she astonishingly dropped it at that. Ruby was boggled by this development, and convinced it must have meant something.

Later on, in Art class, Ruby was blazing through assignments (he'd gotten quite good at drawing; perhaps having sewing and photography as hobbies helped), when he came upon his drawing of Sapphire again, and absentmindedly started to doodle around it. He caught himself and closed the book before anyone could see him doing so again, but not before he processed what he was doodling. He grinned to himself. "Maybe," he thought, "this should be a project I undertake with Sapphire. At this point, she probably won't kill me for it!"

* * *

Sapphire's own life was also taking some interesting twists. She was finally becoming a better reader; no doubt because of the time she spent with Ruby helping her with her homework. It took her a great deal longer than most students to get a given night's homework done, and even then, she was well below the level of some other students. Still, the long study times were spent with her best friend (boyfriend?), and as such, she threw herself into them with more enthusiasm than she would have otherwise, and also remembered them more readily.

In one such study session, she was struck with the thought: "Gee; it must be exhausting for Ruby to spend all this time helping me, and then do his own homework, too. He must be really smart. Or really dedicated to me. Or just letting his own grades suffer as a result. Or-" this thought was interrupted by Ruby quizzing her about this weird thing called "reading comprehension."

Outside of the time Sapphire spent with Ruby, she was pleased to find school was getting a tad more bearable. Her improved reading skills helped in Language class, and Math, though just as boring as it was before, wasn't as difficult for her as reading still was. Finally, though Sapphire still resented that the curriculum of the History class did not cover her and Ruby's battle against Team Aqua, Team Magma, and their summoned eldritch abominations, somehow she started to see the lessons as visceral adventures in and of themselves. Her teacher was also proving to be nicer than she'd thought at first. A particularly interesting conversation occurred between them after class, but this one wasn't accusatory. "Hey teach! This samurai chick, Kai; she kinda looks like me, doncha think?"

The teacher looked at her next to the portrait in their history book. "Why yes; I guess there _is _a resemblance! Of course, I don't know how accurate those illustrations really are, but who knows?"

"Yeah; who know? Maybe I'm her great-great-somethin' granddaughter! Or maybe I came from cave people instead!"

The teacher laughed. "That, I can tell you for sure, is entirely possible. Recently science has proven that some modern humans are part-Neanderthal."

"Cool," said Sapphire as she walked to her next class. Was that statement by the teacher intended as an insult? She didn't think so, but in fact, she couldn't care less.

In her Language Arts class, Sapphire settled into another dull, enigmatic, but fortunately, not _explosive _lesson. As usual, since her resolving to learn to read enough to at least get by in life, her time in class consisted mostly of her staring at her assigned reading, occasionally with her index finger running along the text, while listening to other students read that text aloud. Every once in a while, she got the sinking feeling that maybe those other students botched the reading, by the way they were pausing and speaking in tones that sounded puzzled. If that was indeed, the case, it likely meant that her method of hopefully learning to read was not as practical as she wished it was.

Another bizarre thing was that the Language Art teacher rarely ever corrected these students when they seemed to make a mistake. Hopefully, that meant that they hadn't, but maybe the teacher was just trying to be polite. In that case, though, it seemed a bit hypocritical to Sapphire, seeing as how she was mad at her own inability to read—then again, she hadn't deigned to help her, either. "Could it be," she thought, "that this teacher actually doesn't _want _to teach her students to read?" That thought was absurd…and yet, surely this teacher wasn't doing all she could to help her students. "Ruby would do all he could," it occurred to Sapphire. "Ruby _has _done all he could. He wouldn't worry about hurting people's feelings by correcting them, but he'd apologize if he did. So it would actually work out okay."

Sapphire realized too late that she'd been distracted by these thoughts. She had ignored both her text and the live narration thereof by volunteering (if possibly inadequate) students, and now it would be very difficult to find where she was supposed to be. So instead, she just glanced around the room; taking more interest in other things—like the clock. She tried not to giggle at the memory of an amusing incident that occurred about a week earlier. Her Math teacher had decided he was fed up with students constantly glancing at the clock to see how much longer they needed to suffer his boring class. Sapphire, and probably others, thought the best solution would be for the teacher to stop being so damned boring, but in all fairness, doing so was probably impossible for a man of his limits, so he'd taken the simple and creative solution of taping a piece of paper bearing the written message, "Don't look at this," over the clock. The result, predictably to everyone except the teacher himself, was that the students looked at it _constantly_; not even mere glances, as they had when they just wanted to tell time. Events came to a head when a member of the faculty came by to give the teacher a delivery; upon seeing it, she pointed and laughed. Then, this was all the encouragement students needed to burst out laughing themselves, and after a whole lecture was ruined by the teacher's bad judgment, the clock was soon free once again.

After this flashback, she noticed something else. Ivy was glancing at her occasionally, with a troubled look on her face. Whenever Sapphire caught her doing it, Ivy would quickly look away, but somehow, Ivy kept doing so, and Sapphire thought she could feel it even when she didn't look to check. It didn't surprise her when Ivy approached her after class with an abrupt statement: "Sapphire, gal; where've you been?"

Sapphire wasn't sure what she meant. "I've never left. I still come to school, and believe me, sometimes it ain't an easy thing for me to do!"

"I was talking about Physical Education. You haven't been there for weeks. The team needs you back!"

Sapphire just grinned. "Team? There wasn't any real team in PE, Ivy; they just switched players around a lot. We even played against each other sometimes; remember?"

"Usually that was because that little bitch Cedi put us on separate teams, and still, we need you back. It's your duty to show those suckers up."

"I like you admirin' me," admitted Sapphire, "but my duty these days is helping my best friend outta his problems-'specially now, cos he has a broken leg."

"Awww; I thought _I _was your best friend," whined Ivy.

"Oh sorry," said Sapphire, now regretting her terminology. "Not to diss ya, but I've known Ruby for a long time, and I know he'd do it for me, so I gotta do it for him."

"So you'd pass up an opportunity to nail Cedi with a ball again," joked Ivy. (Or _was _it a joke.)

Sapphire chuckled, but didn't need much time to decide. "Of cos I would. That felt pretty good at the time, but ya know; I think I just like helpin' people more'n hurtin' 'em. Sorry, but I need to get to band class now. See ya later."

"Oh, alright then. See you," said Ivy, in a way that made it sound like maybe she wished she wouldn't.

On the way to band, Sapphire wondered if she was too blunt—something she did not wonder too often, but lately interacting with more people than she ever had before (and it being so explosive that one time) had really made her wonder. "Ivy really was being nice inviting me back," thought Sapphire. "But still, I meant what I said. Strength is for helping the weak; not hurting them." Fortunately, arriving at the band room cut her dilemma short.

* * *

Sapphire's strong belief in the old Spider-Man mantra may not have been unanimous, but it proved effective for what she wanted to do, and Ruby could attest to that. His broken leg was almost healed within a few weeks, and even better, he wasn't too clumsy after he started walking free again—and he knew why. Had he been left to his own device, Ruby thought he probably would have just loafed around while his leg healed, and as a result, make an awkward recovery, but Sapphire had other plans for him. These included taking him out walking even on the weekends to keep his energy up, even though he still needed her help or that of crutches, and a bizarre exercise that consisted of her commanding him to lie on his back, then half-pouncing on him so he would work to push her off. Ruby found the maneuver all types of embarrassing, but it only took one instance of him not bothering to push back, and Sapphire landing painfully on his broken leg, to convince him that he'd better do it anyway.

Sapphire did not hold back when it came to training, but then, she never miscalculated, either. Ruby was soon walking again, with a limp but without the crutches, in time for the convenient day that their Geology projects were due. On that day, Sapphire couldn't contain her excitement, and now that she didn't need to help Ruby walk, she was charging ecstatically to the classroom, narrowly avoiding knocking some spooked students down in the process. "C'mon, Ruby! This'll be so great!"

* * *

As it happened, Ruby and Sapphire had to wait a bit to present their own project while other groups went first, and some of these other presentations were indeed entertaining…though not always in ways that their creators intended.

One group has fashioned a stereotypical model volcano out of clay, and attempted to demonstrate how volcanoes work by pouring in a mix of vinegar, baking soda, and food-coloring. Some students cheered as its bloody-looking contents overflowed, but Sapphire caught the teacher scowling throughout the presentation. At the end, the teacher clarified why. "I see you were passionate about what you did, but unfortunately, that old trick has nothing to do with how volcanoes actually work, and this class is Geology; not Chemistry. Besides, you got a nasty mess on my floor. Talk to me after class." The students sat down worriedly, while some others muttered about them being in trouble. Another group announced that they had written a song about glaciers, which, they revealed by starting to sing, actually meant they wrote new, dorky words for "All Star" by Smash Mouth. Sapphire enjoyed it, but Ruby was clenching up and shuddering in pain. Still another group had baked a tasty cake representing different tiers of sediment. They got a reasonably good grade, and the admiration of other students.

Finally, though, the moment came for Ruby and Sapphire to present their report on the happenings at Mount Chimney as of late. Sapphire bounded up to the front of the class while Ruby moved more slowly up with his visuals, and even before he got there, Sapphire launched into a bombastic speech laden with body-language. She was doing something that Ruby didn't think he had ever seen her do before—acting like a _coordinator._ "Hey y'all! Ya like adventures? Well; lemme tell ya 'bout the adventures that Geology can give!" The teacher looked impressed at this sort of enthusiastic pandering, or at least, what he _thought _was enthusiastic pandering. "Here, my man Ruby's got a cool drawing of Mount Chimney, and lookit all those tunnels in it, because they're important! Tell 'em, Ruby!"

Ruby, no stranger to presentations and audiences, launched into it himself: "Some of you may have heard the news about Lavaridge Town's springs receding mysteriously—and then flooding; _equally _mysteriously. Well; let it be mysterious no more, because Sapphire and I investigated the aquifers, and discovered the cause of this conundrum." Sapphire was grinning at his enthusiasm, and maybe also at his big, funny words. "First, I would like to give a short lecture about water pressure. You probably know something about it. When you press your finger into a hose, you can see that water, being blocked from one part of the opening, rushes forcefully out the other. Likewise, if holes are poked in other parts of the hose, the water leaks out of those, and as such, not as much comes out of the actual nozzle. So as you can see, water is always pushing against everything it touches, and trying to flow out. So how did this translate to Lavaridge's springs failing? Well; why don't you take that one, Sapphire?" (Ruby was surprised that now he had no fear of what she would say.)

"Of cos! The water stopped coming into Lavaridge because it was drained farther down the river, by this nasty villain named Mr. Fukajima! He wanted to steal the water for his evil bathhouse, so he dug this extra tunnel, and Ruby didn't mention this, but once the water disappeared, the ground up on the mountain caved in and these hikers fell down, and Ruby and me both saved 'em." Ruby gave her a look about that, and Sapphire was puzzled by it; he then realized she probably didn't know she had used bad grammar. "So then we went down and Ruby figured out what had happened right away, so we went down the tunnel 'til we found the water where it drained, and we jumped in with our Relicanth and went down the drain with it. What happened next, Ruby?"

"Well, we didn't know about this, but about that time, the water in Lavaridge Town came back up until it overflowed, because the new cave-in obstructed the flow of the water, so it again pressed out of the springs there with much more force." Sapphire looked at him, as though that wasn't what she was hinting at, and so, taking the message, he breathed in, and then ventured, "So then we came out of the pipe and in the bathhouse. Sapphire bullied this employee to find out who was responsible"—he looked at her to see if she was annoyed at this description, but she just grinned—"and so we ran out, and after she called him out, we battled him."

Sapphire took over without even being told to: "Ya bet we did! First of all he got out his Sandslash, and it was about ta dig us ta death, but then I had my Blazikhen jump us up onta the roof of the bathhouse, and the Sandslash came up in the water and got hurt. Then Ruby knocked 'im out with his Swampert, and then the guy got his Gyarados out, and Swampert took its blow, and then I used my Minum to fry 'im into a fish fillet, and then the coward flew off with his Skarmory, but don't worry, cos next day I hear Flannery kicked the crap outta him! And that's why Geology is awesome!"

The crowd went wild. Some laughed, some just cheered; most applauded. The teacher's face was red, but so what? Ruby motioned for quiet, and appended, "In closing, water is a testy substance. It is very useful, but its physical properties make it a very chaotic substance when even a slight upset of the balance is introduced, and so extra care should be taken to ensure that this does not happen. Thank you." This time, most of the audience just laughed, but Ruby didn't care.

After a few more presentations, the teacher called out to Ruby and Sapphire. They took it enthusiastically, but Sapphire's enthusiasm dimmed when she heard his comment: "Very well-researched and investigated; I can tell you cared a lot. But we really didn't need to hear you go on an ego trip about your adventure."

Sapphire just stared at the teacher, and then at Ruby. He could only say, "I tried to tell you…" Silently, Sapphire stalked out the door, leaving Ruby to hobble after her in vain.

**First of all, I deeply apologize for not making my quota of releasing a chapter within a month-and even now, only releasing a very short chapter. There are a number of reasons for this, and hopefully I'll explain them sufficiently.  
**

**Yesterday, a guest reviewed my story thusly: "This is the best fic I have ever read. Most fics go by quickly and unrealistically, but when I read this I feel as if I am reading a novel with all the relatable traits and immense character development. It's awesome! I love it!" I am greatly honored to have received a review like this, as it is exactly the effect I was shooting for. I think Franticshipping stories fulfill a strong need for many readers; as beloved as the official arc of the manga is, it leaves some unfinished business eating at the fans. Anywhere else, such a story would probably have ended in a kiss and a relationship being finalized, but for some reason, Hidenori Kusaka chose not to do so. Granting that children of that age usually aren't interested in love, it's still somewhat maddening that after all that happened, Ruby can pretend not to remember. Hence (especially since, with no more lack of back-compatibility in the Pokemon series, there probably will not be a _Ruty/Sapphire_ remake and hence, no official sequel arc), demand is high for fanfictions that give some closure on the matter, and many exist, but as that reviewer put it, most are very short and consist of a few events leading up to a kiss. (Some go further than that, but they're still short.) I'm not pointing any fingers, and I admit to having enjoyed reading some of these short fics, but I indeed, resolved that I wanted my own fanfiction to be a worthy story in its own right; not just an epilogue to another.**

**All that said, coming up with content to fill a story out is hard work. I began this with the end in mind, and I still have it in mind, but much of the other content was made up later. This chapter has Ruby breaking his leg, and I thought of that some time after last chapter, as a key plot point that will be revealed as important later. However, one thing I did not think of initially was that breaking one's leg prevents one from doing a lot. As such, it really was a struggle writing a chapter that both had the leg heal over the course of it, and still had enough content to be entertaining. I had long ago figured that at some point, I wanted to do a "montage" chapter, but this was, with the exception of the finale, not as good as I'd hoped for. Such are the ruts I wander into from time to time, and when I run up against writer's block, I do what many other writer's do; I move away from the thing until the next step comes to me. This time, however, many distractions presented themselves.  
**

**Here are the big things that have happened to me recently. First, I have moved into a new apartment, finally. Some time after, as I had hoped to do by moving, I got both a job and the beginning of a social life. Yes; I now work as an editor, and I also am a member of a group that studies the Japanese language. Yet in addition, when getting on the computer in attempts to continue this, I have gotten into some other projects. The first is a fangame, though not based on this series. The second, however, is related. At the time I started getting back into Pokemon last year, in addition to reading the manga, I also became a bit obsessed with the RPG _Pokemon Tabletop Adventures_. So for all of those who stuck with me and are interested in this, I have a present for you, or rather, two. I've "statted" a lot of official characters for the game, and so I made sheets for Ruby and Sapphire. Sadly, it seems linking them from this site doesn't work, but if interested PM me, and I'll see what I can do.  
**

**Fortunately, I doubt that I'll be so stuck as to what to do next chapter; I've had it planned out for a while, with this being merely something I inserted on a whim, so I should get it out more punctually. Thanks again.  
**


	11. Chapter 10

"I'm an idiot," Ruby thought to himself, as he watched Sapphire sulk out the door, and presumably toward the bus stop. "Why did have I to rub salt in the wound the teacher inflicted?"

He originally intended to follow her, but then the teacher quickly said, "Now don't worry; I'm not failing you for this—your presentation's a B min-"

"That's not the point," yelled Ruby, snapping back in his direction. The teacher leaned back, clearly startled, and then changed to looking displeased very quickly, making Ruby all the more regretful he exploded like that. Sapphire wouldn't have regretted it…but then, she was no longer there, so Ruby continued in an indoor voice, but without apologizing, "Are you lessening the grade _at all_ because of us leaving the adventurous stuff in? Then that's your problem right there!"

"Well excuse me, young man, but this is Geology Class; not literature!"

Ruby didn't even have time to regret his adrenaline high right now. "First of all, that all really happened; check the news. Second, that belief of yours about how your class is mutually exclusive to other things is just what's so wrong with our schools. Students get bored, they wish they were elsewhere, and then they don't care about studies-"

"I am the teacher and you are the student," roared the teacher to his student; proving he, too, was capable of snapping when mad. "When you are the teacher, you do it your way!"

Ruby jumped on that last rhetorical statement, "Thank you for the invitation. After all, we _are_ better at it than you are!" Ruby thought he even felt himself smirking at that.

"How dare you uppity-"

Ruby interrupted, but attempted to be diplomatic: "Look; I get that I don't know as much about Geology as you do. But in case you never checked, I won all of the Contests in Hoenn; I'm the youngest person ever to do so. I know a captivated audience when I see one, and that was a captivated audience. I was skeptical of Sapphire's idea to include all that, too, but it turns out it went over great!"

"I cannot deny that the presentation excited the class," said the teacher, "but was it worth it? I noticed that many students were still looking giddy and distracted during the other presentations."

"Can you _prove _they were distracted? Maybe they were just awake and attentive," argued Ruby. "Isn't it possible that making Geology _cool _is the right way to make people pay attention and remember?"

"Excuse me," asked one of people who had made the baking-soda-and-vinegar volcano, "Sorry, but you said to talk after class?"

"You failed," said the teacher, waving for him to leave, and the student _did_, looking humiliated.

Ruby was appalled, and raised his voice again. "There, see, is that honestly how you think teaching should go?! How is that helping students learn?!"

The teacher explained, "The learning is supposed to take place before now. The point of these presentations is more to _demonstrate _that you've learned."

"Wait, what? If that's the point, then why are they presentations, and not _tests_? Why demonstrate in front of the whole class, if not to teach them something?"

"I am tired of this discussion, Ruby. I have said that your presentation got a B-minus, and I am sticking to that, but this ranting of yours got you marked down in the area of citizenship. Want to be marked down further?"

"N…no sir," said Ruby, backing down.

"Then leave now."

* * *

"I really need to stop leaving Ruby like this every time he frustrates me; it's just cowardly," Sapphire thought as she took her seat on the bus. "But if I didn't, how long before I just heat up and smack him?" She stifled that thought and said aloud, "Hey driver; could ya wait for my pal Ruby?"

"I'll wait until the bus gets fuller," said the driver, "but I can't inconvenience a whole bus of students for just one."

"Society," Sapphire grumbled to herself, in a tone that expressed her dissatisfaction with it even when that one word did not. She spent several minutes holding Ruby's seat, and finally, just as it was close to departure time, he limped up to the bus, waving to the driver not to leave, got on, and sat next to her.

"I'm so sorry," he said, in a sympathetic tone Sapphire would have preferred he used back in the classroom.

Even so, "Don't be," she said, "Ya said it yourself, ya warned me a lotta times that putting that stuff in would ruin it for that old fart, and it did. It's on me."

Ruby thought of telling her how he'd stood up for her, but that would mean revealing that it had backfired; thanks to his attempt at boldness, the teacher knew Sapphire was responsible for the epic turn their presentation took, and Ruby feared he'd take it out on her. So he just said, "Well, _I_ still appreciate what we did, and I'm not just saying that."

"I believe you, and nobody's opinion is more important" she said, "but what do ya do when the schools that're supposed ta teach kids stuff don't teach 'em ta do the really important stuff; like how ta step up and save the day? What's that make us?"

"I wish I knew, Sapphire," he replied, as depressed as she was, or maybe even a bit more, "I don't know what to say about this, except that our educational system pretty obviously doesn't agree with you about what's really important."

"But you do; at least now, eh?"

Ruby nodded. "The teacher wasn't there on Mount Chimney. He didn't see those two hikers fall into the chasm, and lie there helpless and injured in the drained aquifer. I'd challenge him to deny what we did was important if he'd seen it."

"I gotta wonder," replied Sapphire, "if he'd take that challenge. Old fart actually might."

"It's all irrelevant anyway," said Ruby. "I care, and so do the people we saved. What does school matter?"

"If you're askin' that," she pondered, "then why do we go ta school, instead of hangin' with people who care?"

Ruby shrugged. "To get ahead; that's why I go. It can be a bleak place; that I can't deny, but I've been a good student for a long time, and this is how I'm capitalizing on that to get into a good job in the future. That's just who I am."

"I accept that," said Sapphire, "but it ain't who _I _am. I'm the still the wild girl. The girl who wanders around thinkin' on her feet and doin' what she feels is right in _here._" (She placed her hand on her chest in saying that last bit.) Sapphire did not say that it was, ironically, another part of the same passion that led her to follow Ruby to school, and suffer for him.

Ruby, in fact, had always suspected that was the case, and now was very worried that Sapphire was considering that perhaps, he was not worth her staying the course. He, too, kept silent about his deeper thoughts, and instead said, "Well, we can go out and have some fun this weekend again; I think I'll be well enough. Why don't we think of what we want to do?"

Sapphire agreed to that proposition, and made an attempt to plan for their next excursion. The worrisome thoughts came back, however, when Ruby started helping her with her homework that evening, and they continued to follow her to bed that night. Worst of all, as she thought more about her experiences, the worry and sadness mutated into rage, unvented but standing to explode at some point in the near future…

* * *

The next day (it was Thursday, so still some time before their relieving Summer outing), they proceeded to school in the usual way, with Ruby being mostly over the disappointment of yesterday, but Sapphire remaining in troubled thought. They didn't talk much on the bus that day, and Ruby, correctly guessing at least the gist of Sapphire's worries, didn't prod her; she just continued to weigh the pros and cons of following Ruby to this oppressive institution.

Predictably, Ruby didn't have such a bad time at school that day. He particularly enjoyed Art class, where he continued to work on his Sapphire-related project, albeit with some added worries about the current circumstances. He figured that come this weekend, Sapphire would cheer up again like she always did. Ultimately, _he _always cheered up again, too, though not for the same reasons…nor did he necessarily get gloomy for the same reasons. "Undoubtedly," Ruby thought to himself, "our relationship—if you can call it that—is a rocky one. We're very different people, and going everywhere together means certain things are always going to bother at least one of us. Yet we always make it work. Sapphire's always wanted us to move forward with this, and now I do too, so things can only get better, right?" Of course nobody heard him or answered his question, and somehow, this actually worried him.

* * *

Sapphire's time was to be more troubling. She bore the Social Sciences class well enough, but her mind was still a maelström of conflicted thoughts, and these kept her from paying much attention. She had talked to Ruby about her initial concerns after the Geology report incident, and he had been perfectly candid, so far as she could see, but unfortunately, his answers just gave her more worries, and so now she felt she had only one friend left who would listen. Therefore, after Language Class, Sapphire called out to Ivy. "I've had some problems I wanna talk ta you about."

Ivy looked sympathetic. "Problems, eh? What sort?"

"Society's got me down," Sapphire admitted, "I know ya have some thoughts on all that. Now I need to go to band, but I'll come ta PE tomorrow and talk then."

"Really," said Ivy, her face turning to a grin, "High five!"

Sapphire still was apprehensive about what she aimed to discuss with Ivy, but for the present, having made that discussion date felt to her as if a load had been lifted, and she spent the band period happily banging on the drums; an activity which, in itself, was a famous stress-reliever.

More troubling was having to tell Ruby, when she saw him again, that she would be unavailable to help him exercise during the Physical Education class the next day. "I have an assignment from my teacher, and it would be good if I work on it then," she told him, and largely regretted it. She despised lying to those she cared about; almost as much as complacency, but at this point her concern was something she truly felt she couldn't let Ruby in on without…hurting his feelings? Embarrassing herself? Sapphire wasn't actually sure, but either way, he was out of the loop.

* * *

"So you finally came around! Gal; what took you so long to come back here," asked Ivy the moment she saw Sapphire walking into the locker room.

"Well, as I said," Sapphire clarified, "I didn't come today ta play ball. I was hoping we could just stay in here and talk for a bit."

"Oh? Of course," said Ivy. "I mean, what are friends for? So society's got you down, huh? I want to hear more." Somehow, she sounded like she truly did anticipate enjoying this. Ivy, Sapphire had discovered, seemed rather amused by badmouthing that which displeased her; while Sapphire herself boldly called out such things whenever she saw them, _she_ just felt _angry_ doing so.

"A few weeks ago," Sapphire began, "my friend Ruby and me both went to Mount Chimney ta work on a Geology report. I guess this nasty guy was stealing water from the mountain for his evil sento, and two hikers got hurt by part o' the mountain cavin' in, so Ruby and me went after that guy, fought him, chased him away, and then I wanted ta put that stuff in my report, but Ruby didn't; he said it wasn't important."

"Typical," grunted Ivy in interruption.

"But I convinced him it was, and so he put that cool stuff in. Then at the day we went to do that report for the class, of cos it was really awesome, but then that old fart of a teacher didn't like it, Ruby was all, 'I told ya so,' and he said sorry later, but it still stinks."

"Well, some friend he is," Ivy scoffed. Yes; Ivy had some serious ingrown cynicism.

"Oh no; he's a very good friend!" On this, Sapphire wasn't going to budge. "But he seems to like school, and I don't. It ain't a good fit for me. So really, the problem's that I started goin' ta school just cos Ruby did, but I'm just wonderin' if it's worth it."

Ivy just shrugged. "Well; I'd miss you if you stopped coming to school. But if you want to know what I think, a tough gal like you don't need a man to lean on or give you anything."

Sapphire pointed out, "I kind of rely on him ta teach me reading and writing and stuff. But actually, this is mostly cos I want to give him stuff. Wanna hear a secret?"

Ivy grinned. "You know it's safe with me, Sapphire!"

"Good," she said. "I didn't start out this way. I used ta be a cute, weak, girly-girl. One day, my dad and me took a trip over to Johto; I guess it was ta talk ta Norman, the guy who's now Petalburg's Gym Leader, and also Ruby's dad. I went out and played with Ruby, and then a Salamence attacked. I didn't fight or raise Pokémon at the time, but Ruby did, and he almost died savin' me. And instead o' thankin' him, I saw his cut up face and cried like a sissy baby. My dad and me left soon after, and since then, I got so mad at how I wimped out that I resolved I'd get a lot tougher and join the good fight. Ruby saved me, and made me who I am, and I owe him big."

Ivy's eyes and mouth got wide. Sapphire thought she looked a bit skeptical in addition, but she did say, "Wow. I had no idea. I now see why you care so much about him. But how long is this debt going to go on?"

"I don't think I see it as a debt," Sapphire protested. "Ruby's just my best friend because he's earned it, and I've saved him a bunch since then, so he thinks I've earned it, too. And not too long ago, we, well, we kissed for the first time." Sapphire couldn't help but blush and smile at that.

"All of that might be true," said Ivy, raising her brow after that last statement. "But you said yourself that you don't like school, and you're only here for Ruby. Ask yourself, are you always going to let what happened in your past dictate what you do? It might be better for you to be free to make your own fate. Maybe it would be better for Ruby, too. If he wants to go to school and join this stupid society, let him, and if you want to be free, he should let you. Being linked by the past doesn't mean being together's good for you now."

Sapphire didn't have a response. She remained silent for a while, leaned forward putting her hand to her forehead, and then finally said, "I admit, I never thought of it like that. I probably should've, and I will. Ruby should, and maybe he has. But it hurts, Ivy."

"You can take it," Ivy urged enthusiastically.

Sapphire wasn't bolstered. "Take it; yeah, but not like it. Right now it's just like that Salamence attack; of cos it might make me stronger, but right now, it's…well frankly, it's scary, Ivy."

"Scary? To you?"

"You best believe it is," Sapphire insisted. "Back on my adventures, I always went on and on through any danger cos I knew what I did made things better. Since starting school, though, I've seen too many times that what I thought I knew about the world might not be true anymore. I don't know what I oughta do now, and I'll need ta think of it…alone."

"I'll be in touch if you need me," Ivy insisted.

"We'll see," said Sapphire, and she walked out. Sapphire had hoped talking to Ivy would cheer her up in a way that talking to Ruby hadn't. Instead, however, it had just increased the worries a second time. "I don't even think I'm ready to make this decision," she thought, "and what would Ruby say if I told him?" She went and looked for him, without even knowing where he'd be or if she intended to tell him.

* * *

When Ruby got to Geology class, he was disappointed to see that Sapphire wasn't there today, and, despite her competence, somewhat worried (in the overprotective way that people who care often are)—but hardly surprised. The last time she'd been in the class, she'd been electrified by her supposed sense of purpose, and then had her good vibes broken by the teacher's cold, boring attitude. "In her position," Ruby thought, "I wouldn't come back the next class, either. I might _never_ come back to the class." Come to think of it, he harbored immense resentment even _not _being in her position, but here he was. At least the teacher had the mercy not to bring the controversy up, though for all Ruby knew, maybe it was a selfish move on the teacher's part, out of fear that if he dared to badmouth the odd couple's hit presentation, the class would boo him and never settle down.

Still, the teacher _did _hand back the reports that were submitted along with the presentations, and Ruby made sure not to look him in the face when he came by; lest a very awkward staring match take place. As he had said last class, the teacher gave their report a B-minus, which for most children, wouldn't be terrible. What _was_ terrible was that the teacher had drawn a line through the bit of the report Sapphire insisted upon adding, with "irrelevant" written by it with the same pen. "It is a good thing Sapphire isn't here," reasoned Ruby. At this point, he wouldn't have put it past the "old fart" (as he was already starting to think of the teacher as) to have intentionally handed the report back to her to show blame. "Perhaps Sapphire even knew that might have happened, and didn't come here to save the teacher from herself." So far as Ruby knew, Sapphire never attacked anyone out of anger, but she was scary enough when angry that he couldn't help but worry, though he also felt guilty about it.

At any rate, the teacher had ordered the students to start reading from their textbooks aloud. Ruby thought he heard some quiet anger in some of the volunteers' voices. If they were fed up with the teacher, though, so what? School wasn't a democracy, and sad though Ruby was to admit it, some of the projects he'd heard last class (and examples many other times) made him think many students weren't intellectually ready for self-government. Of course, if idiots voting in school was undesirable, why not the same thing be true in national elections? "Good heavens; what's happening to me," thought Ruby. "This class is making me bitter. I need to get out and join Sapphire!" Fortunately, eventually the class ended, and Ruby went off to do just that.

* * *

Sapphire hadn't found Ruby after her talk with Ivy. He wasn't in their usual secluded training place, and so she looked a few other places she thought he'd go, to no avail. When the bell rang, she had gone to lunch and hoped to see him there, but then Ivy reappeared to keep her company at the table. Sapphire had decided to oblige her. At this point, Ivy wasn't doing much to help Sapphire out her worries, but she was obviously _trying_, and that was what counted. After lunch, Sapphire had figured she knew of the likely place to find Ruby, and didn't relish the thought of going there. In fact, she'd been a bit disappointed in him for going there. "This one time now," she had thought, "he's not worth following." Instead, she had gone to the school nurse and feigned sickness. She had a feeling the nurse got that a lot, but Sapphire had an effective poker face; perhaps because she usually came off as wearing her heart on her shoulder and nobody ever expected anything different. She had waited out the whole period, and then, finally, reunited with Ruby at the bus stop.

"You're lucky you missed today's class," said Ruby, as they got on board.

"Not lucky, _smart_," she retorted. Sapphire abruptly wondered if Ruby would take that as a suggestion that he was, in turn, _stupid _to attend class, and so she quickly asked, "so what happened?"

"The teacher scribbled some mean things on our report paper," Ruby euphemized. "If you like, I'll give it to you for Toro to burn."

Sapphire actually paused to consider that. "Eh, no; don't. It's still our masterpiece, even beaten up."

"Alright," said Ruby. "Let's try to move on. So have you decided what we're doing tomorrow?

"Maybe," she pondered. "Perhaps a little blast from the past will cheer us up…"

* * *

Come next day, Sapphire visited Ruby with some new advice: "Today I recommend bringing your swimsuit. And though I don't care, maybe also a change of clothes."

Ruby was rather boggled by that one: "Are you actually planning to spend another night away? What will our fathers-"

"No; Ruby. I just think you'll need them after this." He looked nervous. "Yeah; today you take a bold new step to getting tough."

Ruby knew his fear was showing, but after this week's trauma, he intended to let Sapphire have her way. "Okay; I think I'm ready. I hope."

"Very well," said Sapphire. She led him outside, let Pilo out of his ball (a sight Ruby hadn't seen for a while; given his broken leg), and leaped on; Ruby also wiggled his way up onto the creature, more clumsily than last time, but that was probably attributable to being out of practice and recently recovered from a broken leg.

Sapphire shouted gleefully (because _she _hadn't done this for a while, either), "Hi ho, Pilo! Hey; that rhymed! Let's wing it to Dewford Town!"

Ruby watched as Littleroot Town shrunk in his perspective, and Pilo began flying over the Pacific Ocean. "We've been to Dewford; haven't we?"

"Yep," Sapphire answered quickly, while returning to her treasured custom of holding Ruby's hand. "It's where a lot of people surf, and there's that cave nearby."

"So _that's _your plan; I take it," guessed Ruby. "You want to go spelunking and surfing."

"Um, no," she replied. "Dewford Town is known for something _else_, too."

* * *

Having only gone to Dewford Town previously on a boat departing from Petalburg City, Ruby didn't realize how close it was to his current home as the crow flew—or in this case, the Tropius. It took considerably less time to get there than to Lavaridge Town. Before too long, the town's prized beach came into view, and with it, its patrons, and the lifeguard tower, in which sat an athletic, blue-haired girl in light, violet attire.

Busy beach aside, Dewford wasn't much of a town in terms of human presence. When Ruby first visited the town over a year ago, he didn't get to see much of it; now, from above, he saw it all, which wasn't really that much more. There was a Pokémon Center (which was also a small lighthouse), but no Pokémart, there looked to be more houses than businesses, and there weren't really that many houses. As Pilo descended, though, Ruby saw that many of those houses looked rather expensive, and the few businesses he eventually picked out also looked rather upscale; he could also see why: Because in addition to its beach and tropical, teal water, the town was surrounded by a beautiful forest of lush palm trees and other tropical plants. In short, probably Sapphire's type of town a lot more than his, but Ruby had no intention of remarking on that; again, he largely intended this outing as a way to make her feel good after the previous disheartening weeks.

Sapphire at least seemed to have her enthusiasm back as she landed Pilo right by the gym, and led Ruby in by the hand, urging him to follow her inside. "Now are ya sure yar leg's better?"

"Yes; it doesn't hurt at all now," he replied.

Sapphire grinned. "Good. You'll _need _it."

* * *

The Dewford Town Gym's interior (or at least the lobby) was pretty uncharacteristic as gyms went, but one look at the decorations and paraphernalia on the desk and walls left no doubt as to what was done here. Gis, belts, head pads, mouth guards, baggy shorts, gloves, and rolls of white gauze that reminded Ruby of those unpleasant weeks he spent in a cast: This was a fighting gym. Ruby's heels tried to dig into the ground before he even thought he was done processing this revelation, but Sapphire just dragged him to the desk; seeming not to have even noticed.

The desk was staffed by a muscular young man with a sense of fashion that probably would get him made fun of if he wasn't muscular. He had a black and yellow tank top that left a lot of his arms, pectorals, and abdominal muscles visible, jean shorts that ended in frilly bell-bottoms around knee-level, shoes that looked almost like a ballerina's, and long black hair worn in a queue that he probably had to toss forward over his shoulder while using the toilet. "Sapphire," he exclaimed upon seeing the guests, "I wondered when you would return! Brought some dinner, too?"

Ruby was now annoyed in addition to nervous. "Um, what? Who is this guy, Sapphire?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted.

"The name's Takao," said the weird-but-tough-looking man behind the counter. "Back when Sapphire came to challenge the gym, I just trained here, but now I work here! Hoo ha!"

"Congrats," said Sapphire. "Now, you have some sparring gear and a room we can use for it?"

"I think I can spare some gloves," said Takao, "and room 1D is free at the moment. Looks like you're listed as a "serve-for-free" client, so here's your stuff! Knock yourself out—or your opponent." Sapphire chuckled. Ruby winced.

Sapphire took the gloves and key, and then led Ruby down some halls arranged in a rather maze-like fashion and painted with large, horizontal stripes of different colors. Though this place didn't look the part at all, Ruby couldn't help but be reminded of horror films; specifically the parts when the hero (or maybe just a redshirt) walks through an evil place; the viewer knowing something was wrong, and thinking, "turn back; you idiot!" The musty smell of what could only be human sweat, which normally would just have been _gross _to Ruby, increased the feeling of horror as it got stronger the further they went in the halls. Sapphire kept leading Ruby by the hand, until they finally arrived at the door marked 1D, and as she unlocked it, the horror scenes that got viewers to think, "don't go in there; you idiot," played in Ruby's mind. However, Ruby had a feeling he was going to faint if he didn't get his mindset somewhat under control, so he made some questionable attempts to reaffirm himself, silently: "I agreed to this! I can do this! I _must _do this! I…hope sweat is the only bodily fluid that necessitates my change of clothes!"

* * *

"A'right, Ruby; let's get those gloves on you," barked Sapphire, with an ecstatic grin that reminded of Ruby of Nana when she was about to eat a steak.

As she went over to help him, Ruby threw up a self-sufficient front by saying "I am perfectly capable of putting on gloves and other articles of clothing; thank you very much," demonstrating this by slipping the cushioned articles with the same grace as he'd apply to white, lacy gloves, and knowing this would be the last time he could say such a thing during this exercise.

"Bravo," said Sapphire, and she probably would have sounded sarcastic had she not been so psyched. "I see ya're ready, so take yer best shot!"

Ruby felt terrified, and he was sure he _looked _it, too, but he finally decided to oblige her and throw a punch in the air; probably a bad one.

"Um yeah," Sapphire sighed, "I kinda meant at _me_."

"Oh no," said Ruby; the gentleman in him pushing the _man _man aside. "Why do I have to hit you?!"

"Ta prove ya're serious about what ya said about gettin' stronger! There ain't a way around it Ruby; we chicks need ta kick, but boys at least gotta box!"

"What do you mean, at _least_," asked Ruby. "Are we all just lesser fighters in your opinion?"

Sapphire grinned even wider and more mischievously. "Mmmmmaybe. Wanna make somethin' of it?"

"Well, I do think-" said Ruby, before he figured out her tactic, "Uh no! No I don't!"

"Damnit, Ruby," Sapphire said. "If you don't start this up, I've gotta." She gave him what wasn't even much of a punch; more of a push, but it still knocked Ruby onto the (fortunately padded) floor. "Ha! Ya surrender?!"

Ruby was getting even more scared. "Yes! Yes, please!"

Sapphire wouldn't have that. "Wrong answer! Now take this!" She rushed toward his head, pulling back her foot for what looked like a kick. Ruby's fear finally turned into a productive adrenaline rush, causing him to roll away from Sapphire, and jump back onto his feet, though a burst of strength didn't mean a boost of _skill_, and he stumbled and fell again soon after. Surprisingly, though, Sapphire commended him. "You're learning! This time ya dodged! Now stand back up, and let's continue." What choice did Ruby have? He stood up again, more slowly and successfully, and awaited (and dreaded) Sapphire's next order, which never came; instead she motioned for him to come closer, and then threw what looked more like an authentic punch. Ruby leaped out of the way and kept running. Sapphire just said, "_Really?_" She then ran after him, easily overtook him, and picked him up.

"Put me down! Please!" Ruby's adrenaline was still pumping to some degree, but he was ashamed of himself for being so impotent. "I'm sorry Sapphire, but I've never done this! I know I'm pretty good at Pokémon battles, but there, I guess running away a bit works, since your Pokémon are there to intercept blows."

"Sure are, and good fer them," Sapphire agreed, "but you can intercept, too. Come back." He did, though not happily. "Now try ta block this instead," she ordered, and threw another punch. At this point, Ruby's reflexes were primed, but he still lacked skills, as he chose to stick his hand right in front her oncoming blow. The collision hurt his hand, despite the glove, snapped his arm backward, and probably would have knocked him down _again_, had Sapphire not pulled it at the last moment.

While this was going on, a buff man with wild blue hair walked into the room, and said, "Sapphire! So good to see you back in town!"

She turned away from Ruby to face the newcomer. "Hey, Brawly! Meet my little pal Ruby!"

The blue-haired man started to say, "Nice to mee-" but was interrupted by Ruby.

"Little?! Come on, Sapphire, be nice!"

She didn't seem sorry. "Ya couldn't block that, little pal, so try again ta be a _big _pal!"

"Of course," Ruby thought. "Sapphire's still trying to annoy me into a fighting mood." Worse, he thought it might have been working. Still, he didn't see how he could please her, and said so. "You're just too strong, Sapphire! I can't hold your fist back!"

"True," commented Brawly. "But then, you can't sail against the wind, either!"

"No," Ruby replied, "Of course not. Are you trying to make me feel bad, sir?"

"Of course not, dude! You can't sail against the wind, _but…_"

While Ruby just looked perplexed, Sapphire finally cut him some slack. "Oh sorry, Ruby. He _does _this stuff, ta teach about his ideas of usin' force as a friend and not a foe, or somethin' like that."

"Right, dudette! Now, dude, have you ever piloted a sailboat before?"

"Sorry," said Ruby, "but no. In fact, I get seassick."

"Well, then here's a primer. It's true you can't sail against the wind; not _directly _at least. But what you _can _do is sail through it diagonally. Then the force of the wind isn't against you; it's your unholy ally. Now try it with her fist!"

"I still don't really get what you mean, sir," Ruby admitted. "I have actually read that bit about diagonal sailing before, but how it pertains to this-"

Sapphire poked him in the cheek, a bit too hard, signaling for him to turn back to her. "Ya see this arm here?" She stretched it out to simulate what a punch at its farthest point looked like. "Do _this _ta it!" She then used her other arm to whack her "punching" arm away, from the side; not the front.

"Do you see now," asked Brawly. "When someone has punched, and you block them by pushing it to the _side_, their power just goes toward _missing _you!"

"I…_maybe _see that, yes," Ruby replied, and no sooner had he done it, than Sapphire lunged back at him throwing another scary, but telegraphed punch with her right arm. Ruby did his best to follow the convoluted (but admittedly sensible) advice they'd both given him, and blocked the fist by misdirecting it to the side; astonishing himself and pleasing Sapphire greatly.

"Good! You finally are learning. Again!" She threw the same right punch, to make sure he got it, and then, when he did, she switched it up by throwing a left, which he took longer to react to, and didn't divert soon enough to avert a blow in the right rib. Ruby yelped, but he didn't crumple up, so Sapphire repeated the blow, and this time, he blocked it. Then, she threw a right again, which he this time anticipated.

"Could it be," thought Ruby, "that I actually am getting good at this? Sapphire really knows how to teach!" In all likelihood, Sapphire wasn't a professional, orthodox boxing coach, but she had enough understanding and passion to impart this lesson in an effective way.

After Ruby rose to the challenge of blocking a few high blows from the right or the left, Sapphire again tripped him up by squatting a bit and moving her left hand in for an uppercut to the gut. She wasn't intending to knock him out, but at least to cause enough pain to make the lesson stick. Ruby, though, had his long dormant fight mode activated, and upon receiving that pain, _finally _decided to throw a punch back at Sapphire, and it actually hit—in her left breast. Brawly's eyes went wide, and he gasped. Ruby was already regretting it.

Sapphire cringed; that actually really hurt. Despite her toughened body, Ruby had struck her in what was, in terms of both taboos and pain, the female answer to a man's groin. Sapphire's thoughts were a blur. "He really did that?! He punched me _there?!_" Then, as wild, self-preservation instincts took hold of her, she quickly threw another punch at him, with something more than teaching in mind. Ruby, meanwhile, had observed that he had done something very wrong, and began to shrink back, lowering himself with a submissive hand gesture to signal that they needed to stop, at least momentarily, but in her pained rage, Sapphire hadn't even considered that he'd be sorry, and as he lowered, her punch caught him in the eye, and then the forehead.

Ruby was so shocked by this trauma that he didn't even scream in pain until after he was knocked hard on his back. Sapphire was shocked at her action even before he fell. Instantly, she fell to her knees by Ruby, attempting to check if he was alright and help him if she could, and in observing him, all of her remaining rage was replaced by horror as she beheld an awful image from the past reborn; Ruby's cute, amiable face mangled and pouring blood. Ruby stared back, through the burning pain of his own blood in his eye, and saw the rebirth of his own most horrible memory; Sapphire breaking down and crying in fear. Both of them thought, "This was a bad idea."


End file.
